Jakarta. At the end of his 10-year tenure, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto have approved the creation of a Cyber Force, which will become the fourth branch of the Indonesian Military (TNI), alongside the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

According to Chief Security Minister Hadi Tjahjanto, the Cyber Force will operate similarly to other TNI branches by conducting patrols and mitigation efforts. "The Cyber Force is a battle of minds. It's about how we can influence others and win the war," Hadi told reporters at the Parliament complex in Jakarta on Monday.

He stressed the importance of the Cyber Force, as future conflicts are expected to be cyber wars. "A systematic approach is necessary to counter their attacks," he explained.

Hadi also reflected on Indonesia's past experiences with cyber warfare, particularly during the conflict with Timor Leste, which gained independence in 2002. He acknowledged that Indonesia still needs to build its cyber warfare expertise. “Cyber warfare requires media—information tools to shape public opinion. It’s a battle of minds, influencing people’s perceptions to achieve strategic goals,” he elaborated.

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During the 2024 Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in August, MPR Chairman Bambang Soesatyo (Bamsoet) highlighted that Indonesia's cybersecurity remains underdeveloped. According to the National Cyber Security Index, Indonesia ranks fifth in Southeast Asia, despite the global shift towards the internet of military things, where military operations are increasingly controlled remotely with greater speed and accuracy.

“This is crucial, given Indonesia's vulnerable geopolitical position. We are directly facing the British Commonwealth nations: Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia, which are part of the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FFDA), alongside New Zealand and the United Kingdom. At the same time, we are also in the arena of geopolitical competition between Russia, China, and the United States,” Bamsoet concluded.

Cyber attacks on the government have become more frequent. On June 20, the Temporary National Data Center (PDNS) 2 in Surabaya was breached, disrupting critical government services, including immigration and school admissions. More recently, the personal data of 6 million taxpayers, including President Jokowi and other top officials, was reportedly hacked and offered for sale on the dark web by a hacker known as Bjorka for $10,000.

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