Indonesia’s national data center, housing critical government information, was compromised in a cyberattack last week, disrupting services across hundreds of national and local agencies. The attack, attributed to the LockBit ransomware group, has caused significant delays and exposed vulnerabilities in the country’s digital infrastructure.
Long queues plagued Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport last week as the attack crippled immigration systems. The culprit: Brain Cipher, a variant of the LockBit 3.0 ransomware. This malicious software encrypts data, essentially locking it away and demanding a ransom for its return.
According to Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, a senior official with Indonesia’s Communications Ministry, the breach impacted data centers at 210 institutions. He further revealed the hackers’ exorbitant demand – a $8 million ransom.
While immigration services have started to recover, other government functions, including investment licensing, remain hampered. The Indonesian government is working tirelessly to restore these critical services and recover compromised data.
It was reported that the authorities are currently investigating the attack and the specific ransomware variant used. LockBit, a notorious Russian ransomware group, has targeted governments, major companies, and even hospitals worldwide, causing billions in damages and extorting millions in ransoms.
This attack highlights the growing threat of cybercrime against critical infrastructure. Recently, the United States, Britain, and Australia sanctioned the leader of LockBit, accusing them of extorting billions from thousands of victims. The group was responsible for a quarter of all ransomware attacks globally in 2023 and is estimated to have amassed over $1 billion in ill-gotten gains.
Indonesia has taken a strong stance against the ransom demand. They are collaborating with their National Cyber and Crypto Agency to restore functionality and bolster their digital defenses against future attacks.