Indonesia to establish cyber-defence unit

Indonesia has announced plans to establish a cyber-defence unit dedicated to securing systems and networks within the defence and military establishments and those related to national IT infrastructure.

The move – announced by Deputy Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin on 27 November – is reflective of increasing efforts across Southeast Asia to protect expanding financial assets and increasingly sophisticated military systems.

In a conference on internet security in Bandung, West Java, Sjamsoeddin said that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to establish a cyber-defence operations centre (CDOC) that will enhance security and protection of internal IT defence mechanisms and processes as well as national networks, particularly those related to finance.

An MoD statement indicated that the CDOC is expected to work closely with a cyber-defence task force recently established by the Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - TNI). The CDOC is also expected to draft a national doctrine on cyber security, implement related strategies across the MoD and other agencies as well as lead the development and acquisition of IT security technologies and systems.

In comments published by the MoD, Sjamsoeddin said that another priority of the CDOC will be to co-ordinate efforts to improve cyber security in Indonesia.