Indonesia requires more experts to face increasing cyber threats.\nAccording to data from the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), 1.52\nbillion cyber attacks were recorded between 1 January and 15 April\n2026.<\/p>\n
Founder of IT Del and Chairman of the National Economic Council,\nLuhut Binsar Pandjaitan, assessed that the rising threat of\ncybersecurity and advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) demand\nthe preparation of human resources with specialised cybersecurity\ncapabilities. Consequently, IT Del is focusing on teaching AI alongside\nthe development of cybersecurity competencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cCybersecurity threats are increasing, while artificial intelligence\ntechnology continues to evolve. We need to focus on building human\nresources with cybersecurity skills. IT Del is also paying attention to\nteaching artificial intelligence so that the younger generation is\nprepared to face technological developments,\u201d Luhund stated in a written\nstatement on Saturday (26\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
Amidst the need to strengthen national digital defence, Spentera\nGroup, a company operating in the cybersecurity sector, is encouraging\nthe growth of national talent by hosting the grand final of the annual\nhacking competition, the Hacktrace Independence Day Competition (HIDC)\n2026, at the Del Institute of Technology (IT Del) in Balige\nrecently.<\/p>\n
The preliminary rounds of the competition took place from 17 August\n2026. From 410 participants organised into 136 teams, three teams\nconsisting of nine participants advanced to the final round.\nParticipants arrived from various regions in Indonesia, including from\nabroad.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Co-Founder & Owner of Spentera Group, Royke Lumban\nTobing, stated that the massive scale of cyber threats must be met by\naccelerating the preparation of human resources. According to him, the\nindustry\u2019s demand for cybersecurity experts far exceeds the current\navailability of talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need far more ethical cybersecurity experts. The gap between\ndemand and the availability of human resources is still too large.\nCybersecurity is a vital part of national security. Maintaining\ncybersecurity means helping to maintain national sovereignty and\nprotecting citizens,\u201d said Royke.<\/p>\n
The HIDC 2026 grand final brought together the teams Boys Who\nChatGPT, Petir Pemecut Handal, and HIB Hoshiyomis. The finalists were\nunder the age of 30, comprising both students and professionals, some of\nwhom have worked internationally.<\/p>\n
Testing Skills in Real-World Scenarios<\/strong><\/p>\n HIDC challenges participants through eight stages that test more than\njust the ability to find vulnerabilities in digital systems. The\nchallenges include physical security, such as opening locks and safes,\nthe use of software-defined radio (SDR), testing attacks through a red\nteam approach, and defensive responses through a blue team approach.<\/p>\n According to Royke, these scenarios were designed based on Spentera\u2019s\nexperience handling cybersecurity needs for clients. Thus, participants\npractice assessing risks, formulating strategies, working in teams, and\nmaking decisions as required in cybersecurity professions. Total prizes\nup for grabs reached Rp170 million.<\/p>\n \u201cOur hope is that participants do not stop as competition winners.\nThey can develop into cybersecurity engineers capable of building the\ncyber security required by companies in Indonesia, and even the nation,\nand are able to compete in the global market. Furthermore, we also want\nthe HIDC 2026 competition in Balige, North Sumatra, to encourage the\ndistribution of cybersecurity talent so that it is not just centred on\nJava Island. Hopefully, in the future, the global market will no longer\nlook to India for IT talent, but to Indonesia,\u201d expressed Royke.<\/p>\n Collaboration Bridges Campus and Industry Needs<\/strong><\/p>\n The selection of the Del Institute of Technology (IT Del) as the\nlocation for the HIDC 2026 hacker competition grand final aims to foster\nthe emergence of young cybersecurity talent. IT Del focuses its studies\non the field of artificial intelligence. This effort was strengthened by\nthe signing of a research, innovation, and internship programme\nagreement between IT Del and Spentera Group.<\/p>\n The signing of the agreement with Spentera Group is a follow-up step\nto connect research and capacity development with industry needs.\nPreviously, Spentera has also collaborated on cybersecurity research\nwith the University of Indonesia and Gadjah Mada University.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Rector of IT Del, Prof.\u00a0Arnaldo Marulitua Sinaga,\nstated that the collaboration between academia and industry helps\nstudents understand the technological security challenges faced in the\nprofessional world.<\/p>\n \u201cOur effort is to form cybersecurity talent. We see the importance of\nsecurity in the field of technology. IT Del also wants to contribute to\nthis field,\u201d said Arnuardo.<\/p>\n Through the annual HIDC competition, Spentera hopes that more young\npeople will be interested in pursuing cybersecurity professions. The\ncompany is also preparing certification programmes to help talent\ndevelop skills relevant to industry needs.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, one participant who has worked for a Russian company,\nAhmad Zainuri, expressed the importance of building cybersecurity human\nresources in the era of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this AI era, it is easier for people to perform hacking, so cyber\nthreats are increasing. Therefore, the need for human resources with the\nability to defend against cyber attacks is essential,\u201d explained\nAhmad.<\/p>\n Another participant who has worked in Singapore, Linuz Tri Eriyanto,\nemphasised the importance of building ethics for young hackers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhite hat hacker, the term for hackers who respect ethics, is very\nimportant to build through competitions like this, so that young hackers\ndo not fall into harmful actions,\u201d concluded Linuz.<\/p>",
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