Women are expected to be able to protect their digital assets independently
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) urged women while expressing full support to them to broaden their insights, bolster capabilities, and seize opportunities in cyberspace careers to protect their digital assets independently.

"Women are expected to be able to protect their digital assets independently and have an interest in choosing a career in cybersecurity and be able to become leaders in this aspect," Director of Cybersecurity and National Cryptography, Finance, Trade, and Tourism at the National Cyber and Crypto Agency Dr Edit Prima remarked during a discussion on "Closing the Digital Gender Gap" to commemorate Mother's Day 2022 here on Wednesday.

Prima noted that its realization was also an opportunity for women that cybersecurity was also the right path for them.

Data from the Manpower Ministry indicated that the number of workers in the national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in 2021 reached around one million people, and the requirement is estimated to increase every year, and in 2025, it can reach 1.97 million people.

This opportunity is not only for men but also for women, who make up 56.6 percent of the Indonesian internet users.

Prima said that women can also participate in maintaining cyberspace security by improving literacy in digital culture and cybersecurity in the family, so as to avoid technical cyberattacks, such as data theft and phishing.

"One of the things that has had a profound impact is, for example, creating a strong password, changing it regularly, and being careful to not share it carelessly with other people. Moreover, do not click on random links," he remarked.

Apart from the technical risks of cyberattacks, they can also be social in nature, such as in the form of black propaganda and hoaxes.

To tackle this issue, the information one receives should be verified first, and one should not share information without checking the source, so as to avoid chaos, he remarked.

In addition, it is necessary to uphold the Pancasila values through proper conduct; following social, cultural, and religious values; and gaining an understanding of ethics in the digital world.

"(Upholding) the Pancasila paradigm by behaving within limits; practicing cultural, social, religious, national, and state values; and understanding ethics in the real world can be applied in communication in cyberspace," according to Prima.

The development of information technology in cyberspace makes it expedient for people to work, study, and even go shopping.

Nonetheless, despite all the pros, the threat of crime lingers in cyberspace. Based on monitoring conducted by the agency, over 893 million cybercrime risk anomalies were reported during the period from January to November 2022. Hence, adaptive and innovative efforts are needed to protect Indonesia's cyberspace.

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Translator: Fitra Ashari, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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