Jakarta (ANTARA) - A legal basis is currently being prepared for the establishment of a task force for data protection to enable it to fight cyberattacks, according to Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate.

The task force will be coordinated by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs and involve the active participation of the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Communication and Informatics Ministry, and the Indonesian Police.

"We have held meetings under the coordination of the Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Minister) and currently, are preparing the legal umbrella. (We have) proposed the setting up of teams that will deal with the fight against cyberattacks in the Indonesian digital space," Minister Plate informed here on Friday.

He assured people that law enforcement agencies are currently working, in accordance with the existing laws, to protect Indonesia's digital space from cyberattacks, which have grown lately.

"I don't follow the details because it is the authority of legal enforcers," Plate said.

A hacker going by the username “Bjorka” went viral lately in Indonesia for reportedly breaching data, including that of several high-ranking officials, such as Minister Plate and Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

“Bjorka” reportedly offered to sell the data of a number of Indonesian citizens, including high-ranking officials, via an online forum breached.to.

The hacker claimed that the breached data included identity numbers sourced from pre-paid SIM card registrations and President Joko Widodo's letters, which Bjorka said are labeled as secret.

Meanwhile, the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) are currently preparing to approve the Bill on Personal Data Protection (RUU PDP) to enable strict legal enforcement against data leakages that have frequently occurred in the country.

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Translator: Livia Kristianti, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
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