INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION CRUCIAL TO DEAL WITH CYBERATTACKS by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 13, 2018 (Antara) - Effective cybersecurity reduces the risks of cyberattacks and protects companies, organizations, and individuals from the deliberate exploitation of systems, networks, and technologies.

        As cyberattacks tend to increase worldwide, vulnerability of information technology must be given special attention, as its risks could affect million of internet users, individuals, and businesses as well as harm the national economy.

         To discuss cybersecurity issues, the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) of Indonesia organized the fourth CodeBali cyber security conference in Bali on October 9-12, 2018.

        This year, CodeBali, held for the first time in 2015, was themed "Cyber Security Solutions for The Emerging Threat: Protection in Critical Information Infrastructure and IoT Word."
   IT experts, government and private institution officials, researchers, and students majoring in IT participated in the international conference.

       Technological progress of Internet of Things (IoT) could deliver various positive outcomes, particularly in supporting the development of national critical infrastructure information (IIKN) and the national economic growth, according to BSSN Chairman Djoko Setiadi.

       Through CodeBali 2018, the agency has urged stronger cooperation, synergy, and collaboration in cybersecurity.

       The event was aimed at unifying capabilities of experts and youngsters from several Asian countries to deal with massive cyberattacks.

         "This event is significant, as cybercrimes not only take place in Indonesia but also in other parts of the world," he noted in his opening remarks.

       He expressed hope that the gathering would increase public awareness of cybersecurity that could prevent and address cyberattacks.

        BSSN operates cybersecurity round-the-clock everyday to protect the country's internet system.

        CodeBali activities included a series of simulation activities on ethical hacking, computer network security, incident handling, and cybersecurity.

       On the first day of CodeBali 2018, the panel discussion was on "Government Initiative Update on Overcoming the Emerging Cyber Threat and Building National Cyber Resilience," with speakers including Asep Chaerudin, deputy chairman of BSSN; Hidetoshi Ogawa of NISC Japan; Zahri Yunus from Cyber Security Malaysia; and Reiko Kondo of MIC Japan.

          The second panel of discussion was on "Cyber Security Solutions through Government Initiative" presented by Inu Baskara, director of digital economic protection and recovery of BSSN, Bisyron Wahyudi of ID-SIRTII/CC, Motomichi Mori from Fujitsu, and Arif Budi Subekti from NEC Indonesia.

         The last section was on "Cyber Security Solutions through Innovations and RnD" featuring speakers, such as Katsuhiro Mori from JPCERT/CC, Nobuo Kamba of NTT East, and I Putu Agus Eka Pratama and I Made Sunia Raharja from the University of Udayana, which is based in Bali.

          The event was enlivened by several activities, such as a cybersecurity drill test, information sharing, exhibition, and a national cybersecurity competition.

         The JAV team comprising three students of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) retained their title as champions of the national cyber security competition dubbed, the Cyber Jawara in CodeBali 2018.

          In the competition held in Kuta, Bali, on Oct 11, 2018, the JAV team managed to collect 7,351 points and attack its rivals 2,266 times, Visat Sutarno, a member of the champion team, said in Kuta, Bali, on Thursday evening.

          Since the beginning of the final round, the ITB students played aggressively by attacking the defense systems of 17 servers guarded by other teams, he noted.

            The three members of the JAV team are Jason Jeremy Iman, Aufar Gilbran and Muhamad Visat Sutarno.

           They will represent Indonesia at a regional cyber security competition to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, next December.

            If they succeed in the Southeast Asian competition, they will proceed to higher-level contests in Tokyo, Japan, and Las Vegas, the United States.

          The second winner of Cyber Jawara 2018 is the Arkavidia team of
the University of Indonesia (UI), and the third is the CUM team, which is also from ITB.

          Rudi Lumanto, chairman of ID-SIRTII/CC (Indonesia Security Incidents Response Team on Internet Infrastructure/Coordination Center), lauded the achievements of the young winners.

          Their capability in mastering the cyber network is very promising and could become hard stocks of the Indonesian government in developing the digital industry or Industry 4.0 in the future, according to him.

           If institutions guarding the Indonesian cyber network are not protected by those with the knowledge and capability, a cyber disaster is just a matter of time away, he said.

           "Attacks by those with evil interests have increased from year to year, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The condition of cyber management in Indonesia is left far behind, compared to neighboring countries, as well as of those from across the world. Young people like them must be recruited by the state in a creative way," he stated.

          So far, a majority of former participants of the Cyber Jawara competition have been recruited by foreign digital industries offering promising facilities and career opportunities.   ***2***
(F001/INE)
13-10-2018