1.2 Million NIKs Stolen in Central Java, Ombudsman Urges Social and Digital Agencies to Fix Digital Security Systems

The Head of the Ombudsman Representative for Central Java, Siti Farida, has urged the Social Affairs Agency and the Communication, Informatics and Digital Agency (Diskomdigi) of Central Java to improve their digital security systems. This follows the hacking and theft of 1.2 million National Identity Numbers (NIK) belonging to residents classified as poor in Central Java. “In our view, the Social Affairs Agency, together with the Digital Agency, must prioritise improving the security level, whether for websites, pages, or other applications,” Farida said when asked about the case of the stolen 1.2 million NIKs belonging to poor residents in Central Java on Wednesday (15/7/2026). She added that the theft of more than 1.2 million NIKs serves as a warning for the Social Affairs Agency and the Central Java Digital Agency. “So the Social Affairs Agency’s website, including its various derivative applications, must have its security level truly ensured,” she stated. According to Farida, accountability requires clearly identifying which individuals or residents have suffered losses. “If we want to be truly fair, then open a public complaints post for residents to submit complaints or reports if their data has been misused,” she said. Farida also encouraged an internal investigation within the Central Java Social Affairs Agency to ascertain whether operational procedural errors led to the hacking and theft of the NIKs. “Because this involves digitalisation, we believe collaboration with the Digital Agency is necessary,” she added. “The most important thing is to ensure that all data is secure going forward,” Farida emphasised.