Kemkomdigi Emphasises "Digital Trust" Aspect to Safeguard Cyber Security

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Director General of Digital Ecosystem at the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi), Edwin Hidayat Abdullah, emphasised the importance of strengthening the aspect of trust in the digital realm (digital trust) to safeguard Indonesia’s digital ecosystem from the risks of cybercrime.

According to Edwin, the level of awareness regarding digital trust domestically remains relatively low compared to the available potential.

“The digital trust market is only 9 per cent open out of a potential 100 per cent,” said Edwin in South Jakarta on Wednesday.

He explained that the low adoption is partly influenced by the limited awareness of the importance of data protection and digital security.

Edwin likened the situation to the habit of overconsuming sweet foods without realising the impact because one has not yet felt ill.

“Now, it’s the same with digital trust. Sometimes we do not feel it is important as an investment until we experience a loss,” he stated.

He highlighted the practice of identity theft as one of the initial forms of digital crime, for example, using someone else’s data without permission to activate telecommunications services.

“If someone takes another person’s ID card data and uses it to activate a mobile phone, that is one type of digital scam. That is called identity theft,” said Edwin.

Furthermore, he revealed that the level of public exposure to digital fraud attempts is quite high, reaching 65 per cent.

“As many as 65 per cent of Indonesians receive fraud attempts at least once a week, whether through email, SMS, WhatsApp, telephone, or social media,” he said.

The development of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) also brings new threats to digital security, for example, the misuse of deepfake technology.

In the context of AI utilisation, he emphasised that the risk of data breaches is one of the main threats in Indonesia.

Edwin added that the implementation of technology, including AI, must be accompanied by strengthening data governance that encompasses policies, institutions, and technological support.

He also affirmed that efforts to protect data and strengthen digital trust cannot be carried out solely by the government, but require active roles from industry and society.

According to him, cross-sector collaboration is key in curbing digital crime while strengthening trust in the digital space.

“Collaborative efforts to combat digital fraud are a necessity,” he said.