Jakarta. The Indonesian government has assured the security of data stored at the Temporary National Data Center 2 (PDNS 2) in Surabaya, stating that access has been completely isolated to prevent misuse by ransomware hackers.

Herlan Wijarnako, Director of Network and IT Solution at state-owned telecommunications company Telkom emphasized during a Wednesday press conference in Jakarta that the isolation of PDNS 2's system ensures the encrypted data remains inaccessible from external sources.

"The data is encrypted, and the PDNS 2 system has been isolated. There is no access from outside, so hopefully it cannot be misused," Herlan stated.

He further explained that the technical isolation measures at PDNS 2 render the data within it unusable and thus cannot be backed up.

Despite these measures, efforts are underway by the government to recover critical data from PDNS 1 in Serpong, South Tangerang, and backup data centers in Batam, Riau Islands.

"The data affected by ransomware cannot be recovered. So, we are using the resources we still have," Herlan emphasized.

Hinsa Siburian, Head of the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), added that samples have been collected from PDNS 2 for further digital forensic investigation in collaboration with the police cyber crime team.

"We are continuing this investigation, collaborating with the National Police to ascertain the situation. We will further discuss with our police colleagues for follow-up actions," Hinsa said.

Chief Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto confirmed ongoing government efforts to investigate the ransomware attack on PDNS, emphasizing its seriousness and the issuance of notifications by BSSN regarding the threat.

"The data breach involving ransomware at the Temporary National Data Center in Surabaya is being thoroughly investigated to mitigate potential consequences," he said in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

The incident serves as a comprehensive evaluation for the government to enhance cybersecurity systems across Indonesia.

Several public services experienced disruptions last Thursday due to the cyber attack, notably affecting the Immigration Directorate General's autogate system and causing delays at Soekarno Hatta Airport and immigration offices across Indonesia.

Investigations revealed that PDNS 2 suffered a ransomware attack involving Brain Cipher, a new variant of the Lockbit 3.0 ransomware, with hackers demanding an $8 million ransom.

As of Tuesday, 282 institutions were impacted by the PDNS 2 incident. The government is now prioritizing the restoration of affected services while continuing digital forensic investigations.

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