Indonesia is facing the PDN ransomware problem! On June 20, a massive ransomware attack hit the country’s national data center, Pusat Data Nasional (PDN). The attack affected more than 210 organizations nationwide and caused serious disruptions, especially in immigration services.
Visa, passport, and residence permit processing reached a complete standstill across the country, and long queues formed at airports. Still, everything is said to have returned to normal on June 24. Here are all the details we know and have learned…
PDN ransomware: How did the attack happen, and what were the consequences?
The actors behind the attack, dubbed “Brain Cipher” by local authorities and believed to be a variant of LockBit 3.0 ransomware, demanded $8 million to return stolen data. Pratama Persadha, head of Indonesia’s Cybersecurity Research Institute, said the incident was the largest cyberattack against the government since 2017 and was caused by poor management of cyberinfrastructure and server systems. This exposed the country’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
To address the disruption, government officials moved immigration data to Amazon Web Services (AWS). Thanks to this temporary solution, services were normal by June 24. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be a permanent solution.
Cominfo Deputy Minister Nezar Patria said the attackers likely came from abroad and that the government had rejected the ransom demand. The affected PDN data center is being gradually restored, and officials said work is underway to recover the data.
Indonesia’s first PDN facility is located in Bekasi near Jakarta and is scheduled for completion later this year. The government is also developing new PDN centers in Batam and IKN Nusantara. These efforts are believed to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure and prepare it for future attacks.
The PDN ransomware attack demonstrated how fragile Indonesia’s cybersecurity infrastructure is. It affected the country’s technological infrastructure, its international reputation, and its citizens’ sense of security. Therefore, the Indonesian government is expected to increase its cybersecurity investments and take stronger measures.
Featured image credit: Nick Agus Arya / Unsplash
