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Indonesian Government Fails to Backup Ransomwared Data: The Aftermath of Ignoring Disaster Recovery

The Digital Artisan

Jul 1, 2024 — 1 min read

Indonesia's Backup Catastrophe

Most of us understand the critical importance of regular data backups. However, the Indonesian government, it seems, had not given it much consideration until hit by a major ransomware attack. This shocking revelation came in the aftermath of the attack on the nation’s Temporary National Data Center (PDNS), creating extensive digital service disruption.

Ransomware Attack Details

An aggressive variant of the notorious LockBit malware, called Brain Cipher, was used in the attack that shook the nation's cybersecurity infrastructure. As with any ransomware, Brain Cipher encrypted all data and files it could access, effectively holding them hostage for a staggering demand of 131 billion Rupiah, approximately US$8 million.

The Government's Response

Despite the severity of the attack, Indonesian authorities expressed a firm stand against ransom payment. Instead, they have chosen the path of attempting to decrypt the data. This incident culminated in an order by President Joko Widodo for an audit of all government datacenters, amid admissions that most of the stored data lacked a backup plan.

Eyebrow-Raising Admissions in Parliament

In a parliamentary session, the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN)'s head admitted that shockingly, 98 percent of the data in one of the two compromised datacenters had absolutely no backup. This astonishing lapse in data governance was criticized as a 'stupidity issue' by the Chair of the First Commission of the People's Representative Council.

Moving Forward: Mandatory Backups

While budget constraints had previously made data backup in government agencies optional despite the available capacity, the government has announced that it will become mandatory henceforth. The severity of the attack and its devastating impact on the nation's cyber-infrastructure have underscored the importance of backup systems and appropriate preparation for potential cyber threats.

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