Recently, the State Cyber and Cryptography Agency (BSSN) of Indonesia has agreed to establish cooperation in cybersecurity with the government of the United Kingdom through the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).
The collaboration was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cyber Security Cooperation between the Head of BSSN, Hinsa Siburian, and the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Oliver Dowden, at the BSSN office in Depok.
The MoU serves as an extension of the previous agreement made in 2018, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding document, acknowledging the progress achieved in cybersecurity cooperation from the last MoU signed in 2018 and the Indonesia-UK Partnership Roadmap 2022-2024.
Back then in 2018, Head of the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), Djoko Setiadi, stressed the significance of bolstering cybersecurity strategies as a vital measure to uphold national sovereignty. Rapid technological advancements have given rise to various cybersecurity threats, including acquiring confidential information and malicious hacking, posing potential dangers to the nation’s security.
Furthermore, Hinsa echoed Djoko’s statement, emphasising the significance of the MoU in enhancing the cybersecurity strategy between the two nations amidst the escalating global intelligence threats. Hinsa underscored that the MoU between the UK and Indonesia regarding cybersecurity cooperation stands out as a progressive initiative compared to similar partnerships with other countries, as it has already taken concrete steps forward.
“With the existence of this MoU, cybersecurity cooperation between the two countries will continue to be deepened in various fields, including in terms of confidential information or potentially related to financial aspects,” he added.
This meeting generated eight areas of cooperation – National Cyber Strategy Development and Implementation, Cyber Threat Landscape, Cyber Governance, Government and Industry Partnership, Incident Management, Cybercrime, Promotion of Cybersecurity Awareness, Capacity Building through Experience Exchange and Best Practices, and Research on Cybersecurity.
According to Hinsa, one of the objectives of the MoU is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience. “This programme aims to enhance cybersecurity capacity through exchanging knowledge and experience between the two countries.”
This collaboration signifies the strong commitment of both countries to prioritise and enhance cybersecurity. It highlights their mutual recognition of the importance of addressing cybersecurity challenges and working together to strengthen defences, promote information sharing, and develop robust cybersecurity strategies. The cooperation reflects their shared vision of creating a safer digital landscape and protecting critical infrastructure from evolving cyber threats.
According to Hinsa, they are committed to working together to implement this programme under their formulated agreements. They are acutely aware of the importance of collaboration as the key to creating an open, secure, stable, and responsible global cyberspace. “We fully understand the significance of collaboration as the fundamental element in establishing a global cyberspace characterised by openness, security, stability, and accountability.”
Meanwhile, Dowden stated that this meeting is crucial to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to cybersecurity. This commitment is manifested through the cybersecurity cooperation between the UK and Indonesia, as outlined in the UK-RI Partnership Roadmap. “I believe that through today’s meeting, we can discuss several steps to enhance the cooperation between our two countries through the MoU and existing capacity-building programmes,” Dowden emphasised.
