Global economic uncertainty, resulting from trade wars, tariff\npolicies, and inflationary pressures, is impacting more than just the\nbusiness and investment sectors. Alongside these economic fluctuations,\ncyber threats are increasing, presenting a serious challenge to various\nindustries, including finance, energy, telecommunications, and\ngovernment agencies.<\/p>\n
This phenomenon is not unprecedented; a similar pattern emerged\nduring the US-China trade conflict in 2018, when state-sponsored cyber\nactivities saw a significant rise. This situation is now recurring on a\nlarger scale as economic tensions escalate globally. Interestingly, as\nmany companies choose to freeze or cut Information Technology (IT)\nbudgets, cybercriminals are exploiting these vulnerabilities to find new\nentry points. Reduced investment in digital security creates greater\nopportunities for cyberattacks to penetrate organisational defences.<\/p>\n
Globally, the growth of cybersecurity budgets in 2025 is projected to\nreach only about 4 per cent, a decline from the 8 per cent growth seen\nin the previous year. This slowdown is driven by economic pressure,\ninflation, and uncertainty in international trade policies.\nNevertheless, the global cybersecurity market continues to show a\npositive trend, with Gartner projecting total global information\nsecurity spending to reach USD 213 billion by 2025. This indicates that\nthe need for digital protection remains high. Companies with mature\ncybersecurity strategies continue to invest, while organisations that\ntreat digital security as a secondary priority risk losing\ncompetitiveness and facing increasingly complex threats.<\/p>\n
Another emerging trend is the rise of \u2018onshoring\u2019\u2014the use of\ncybersecurity services from local providers. Concerns regarding\ncross-border supply chains and data sovereignty issues are driving many\norganisations to choose solutions that align more closely with domestic\nregulatory requirements. In the Asia-Pacific region, local cybersecurity\nproviders are gaining greater market share, as they are perceived to\nbetter understand the compliance, data protection, and threat landscape\nspecific to each country. In Indonesia, this trend presents significant\nopportunities for local cybersecurity firms, such as ITSEC Asia, which\nfocuses on providing digital security solutions tailored to national\nmarket needs.<\/p>\n
Cyber threats in Indonesia have reached a critical level. Recent data\nfrom the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) recorded over 5.16\nbillion traffic anomalies between January and November 2025. This figure\nis equivalent to nearly 182 attack attempts every second, demonstrating\nthat cyberattacks are continuous and target various strategic sectors in\nIndonesia. Currently, Indonesia ranks 12th in the Asia-Pacific region\nfor cyber activity levels, with the finance, energy, telecommunications,\nand government sectors being primary targets.<\/p>\n
Slamet Aji Pamungkas, Deputy for Cybersecurity and Crypto Economy at\nBSSN, emphasised that cyber threats have evolved into a strategic issue\nthat can affect the operational continuity of organisations. He noted\nthat the high intensity of attacks serves as a reminder that\ncybersecurity is no longer merely the responsibility of IT teams but\nmust be a primary concern for corporate and institutional leadership.\nBSSN data shows that 93.78 per cent of detected traffic anomalies in\n2025 originated from malware activity. Simultaneously, the advancement\nof Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being utilised by cybercriminals to\nincrease attack effectiveness. AI is now used to create more convincing\nsocial engineering and phishing scenarios, accelerate credential theft,\nand facilitate large-scale digital identity theft, making attacks\nincreasingly difficult to detect.<\/p>\n
Throughout 2025, numerous cyber threats targeted important Indonesian\ninstitutions, ranging from ministries and law enforcement agencies to\nretail stock trading platforms, proving that no sector is immune.\nFurthermore, the implementation of the Personal Data Protection Law (UU\nPDP) and the inclusion of the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill (RUU\nKKS) into the 2026 National Legislative Program are strengthening the\ndemand for organisations to improve their security posture. Patrick\nDannacher, President Director of ITSEC Asia, noted that global economic\npressure does not reduce cybercrime activity; instead, it creates\nopportunities for threat actors when companies reduce digital defence\ninvestments. He added that Indonesia is at a pivotal moment in its\nnational digital transformation, and therefore, digital economic growth\nmust be balanced with a strong cybersecurity foundation to maintain\ninvestor and public trust in Indonesia\u2019s digital ecosystem.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cyber-threats-rise-amid-global-economic-uncertainty-indonesia-becomes-target-1780869327", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }