Indonesia to establish cybersecurity academy

Indonesian authorities have stressed that the country needs to collaborate with private actors to develop a cyber-security academy to fortify the national cyber defense posture.

Speaking at the ITSEC Cybersecurity Summit 2024, Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Fadel Muhammad on Wednesday remarked the presence of a cybersecurity academy is essential to producing digital security talents capable of helping Indonesia navigate increasingly complex challenges in the digitisation era.

He expressed belief that the academy will help Indonesia prevent cyberattacks targeted at its vital infrastructure and places.

Muhammad revealed that he has spoken to President-elect, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto about the idea of establishing an academy to provide specialised training for cybersecurity engineers, and there is hope that the new government will bring this proposal to fruition with the support of ITSEC.

Meanwhile, Minister of Communications and Information Budi Arie Setiadi emphasised that the cyberattacks on the information systems of several government agencies in early August highlighted the significant risks associated with cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Therefore, building a team of cybersecurity technical experts is essential.

He suggested that Indonesia can study Singapore's model of establishing a cybersecurity defense centre under the Ministry of Defense.

The ITSEC 2024 summit brought together IT security experts, government officials, and relevant stakeholders to discuss the latest cybersecurity trends and evolving cyberthreats, with a special focus on data protection in vital sectors such as finance, administration, telecommunication, health, energy, and transportation.