Cyberattacks on Activists, Journalists Systematic: SAFEnet

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) executive director Damar Juniarto on Thursday’s virtual discussion with Tempo highlighted the existence of a systematic and directed series of cyberattacks against journalists, academics, and activists who are included in the “high-risk” group. 

He revealed that reports on cyberattacks have increased lately on the aforementioned group. 

“We have differentiated these reports with gender-based attacks or online persecutions as they have different patterns. But this, there are certain periods of the cyberattack that are driven by political motives,” said the SAFEnet director during the Ngobrol @Tempo virtual discussion.

The systematic attacks, he noted, were evident in the timing it happens and the political momentum such as the six cyberattacks this August against mass media websites and personal accounts of academics who collectively slammed the government’s policies in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“This cluster was preceded by another cluster such as in September-October 2019, where there were attacks against those who were critical against the revision of the KPK Law (corruption eradication commission law),” said Damar Juniarto. 

He revealed there were other target clusters for cyberattacks that happened to figures voicing out Papuan issues and asserted that this situation was dangerous and posed a threat to Indonesia’s democratic climate. 

Read: Kominfo Ministry: Don't Accuse Govt of Being Involved in Hacking Attacks

AHMAD FAIZ