Indonesia’s cyber strategy balances power and capacity
As cyber threats grow more complex and widespread, Indonesia’s bold attempt to localise its digital defences reveals both promise and peril in navigating the future of national cybersecurity.
Indonesia has taken a major step in decentralising its cybersecurity efforts by launching eight regional Cyber Crime Directorates across provinces, including Jakarta, West Java, East Java, and Papua. That marks a significant shift from a centralised system to one that recognises the localised nature of cyber threats, from financial fraud and data breaches to online disinformation.
The move reflects a growing awareness that cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue but a broader governance challenge involving law enforcement at multiple levels. The rationale behind the decentralisation is clear: bringing cyber governance closer to where threats emerge allows for quicker responses and better local engagement.
It aligns with global ideas of ‘multi-level security governance,’ where various authorities work together across layers. However, while the creation of these regional directorates in Indonesia signals progress, it also reveals deep structural limitations—many local units still lack trained personnel, sufficient technology, and flexible organisational systems needed to tackle sophisticated cybercrime.
Experts warn that these new directorates risk becoming symbolic rather than effective without serious investments in infrastructure, education, and staff development. Current bureaucratic rigidity, hierarchical communication, and limited agency coordination further hamper their potential.
In some provinces, such as Central Sulawesi and Papua, the initiative may also reflect broader state security goals, highlighting how cybersecurity policy often intersects with political and geographic sensitivities. For Indonesia to build a truly adaptive and resilient cyber governance framework, reforms must go beyond institutional expansion.
That includes fostering partnerships with academia and civil society, enabling regional units to respond dynamically to emerging threats, and ensuring that cyber capabilities are built on solid foundations rather than unevenly distributed resources. Otherwise, the decentralisation could reinforce old inefficiencies under a new name.
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