Through a Book, the Deputy Police Chief Outlines a New Approach to Reading Threats in the Digital Era

Jakarta – Security threats today do not always present themselves in forms that are easily recognisable. They can grow gradually through the digital space, social interactions, visual culture, and exposure to repeated information that shapes people’s thinking.

The shifts in threat patterns form the through-line of the book ‘Gamification of Violence in Modern Terror in the Digital Era’, by Deputy Police Chief General Commissioner Dedi Prasetyo, General Commissioner (Ret.) Eddy Hartono and Irjen Sentot Prasetyo, which was dissected as part of the Densus 88 Anti-Terror Police’s 2026 work conference at the Bidakara Hotel in South Jakarta.

This book presents a different perspective. While analyses of terrorism have traditionally focused on networks, organisations, or visible actions, ‘Gamification of Violence’ invites readers to understand the stages that are often overlooked: how threats form, develop, and then transform within a fast-moving digital ecosystem.

Through an approach that blends security, psychology, law, digital technology, education, and child protection, the book seeks to answer a key question: how can the state and society read threats before they become real?

In his briefing, Dedi stressed that shifts in threat patterns must be matched by changes in thinking and in response strategies.

“Threats today move faster than traditional response models. Therefore, we need to build the ability to read early signs, strengthen prevention, and bolster community resilience,” said Dedi.

According to him, modern extremism threats are increasingly fluid, not always bound to formal structures, and often develop through digital networks that are difficult to map with conventional approaches.

Thus, the book emphasises the importance of early detection, digital literacy, child protection, strengthening schools and families, and cross-sector collaboration as part of a long-term prevention strategy.

What is striking is that the book not only discusses threats but also offers a way of viewing security as a shared responsibility. That future security is not something safeguarded by authorities alone, but requires the involvement of families, the education sector, communities, digital platforms, and the wider public.

More Than a Security Study, It Is About Reading Change