Nezar Highlights Cyber Threats from Quantum Computing

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Nezar Patria has highlighted a new cyber threat arising from the development of quantum computing, including the practice of ‘harvest now, decrypt later’. In this pattern, perpetrators do not need to immediately open stolen data but instead store it until technology capable of decrypting it becomes available. ‘There is data they have stolen that they cannot open because it is encrypted. But they store it, they take it,’ Nezar said in an official statement received in Jakarta on Monday. He made the remarks at the ITSEC Cyber & AI Academy Grand Launching in South Jakarta. According to him, cyber actors can steal and store encrypted data to be opened in the future once quantum computing capabilities can break current encryption systems. Therefore, he assessed that Indonesia needs to start preparing security systems capable of facing the development of quantum technology. ‘We also have to prepare, especially for our data security, for our cryptographic systems, that is post-quantum cryptography,’ he stressed. Nezar said these preparations must begin now because data stolen and stored by perpetrators can still hold value in the future. The ransomware attack on the Temporary National Data Centre (PDNS) 2 in June 2024 served as a lesson for the government to evaluate its cyber security architecture. One of the changes in approach is implementing security from the initial stages of system development, or security by design. Nezar emphasised that security aspects must be included in the planning stage as threats become increasingly complex with the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). The development of agentic AI even enables attacks to be carried out automatically without fully relying on human hackers. ‘It is no longer hackers doing the work, but agentic AI carrying out these cyber attacks,’ he said. Facing these changes, Nezar stated that Indonesia also needs talent capable of understanding developments in cyber security and new technology. He noted that the presence of the ITSEC Cyber & AI Academy can serve as a bridge between technological developments in industry and the competencies taught in higher education. ‘Without strong talent, I believe our wealth of data will eventually be scattered everywhere, stolen, read, and captured by those who are more powerful,’ he concluded.