The PDNS (Temporary National Data Center) server experienced a major outage for approximately four days, starting Thursday, June 20, 2024, and only began recovering on Monday, June 24, 2024. This disruption caused various electronic systems of government institutions to be affected, sparking major concerns among the public and the government.
Since the outage occurred, teams from the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo), and the Cybercrime Unit of the National Police immediately stepped in to conduct a thorough investigation. The investigation results indicated that the PDNS disruption was caused by a LockBit 3.0 ransomware attack, a new variant known as the Brain Cipher ransomware.
“This ransomware (Brain Cipher) is the latest development from LockBit 3.0 ransomware. The ransomware sample will be further analyzed involving various other cybersecurity entities,” said the Head of BSSN, Hinsa Siburian, in a Kominfo press release on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
For those unfamiliar, ransomware is a type of malicious software or malware that can encrypt data or files on a victim’s device, locking access until a ransom is paid. In this attack on PDNS, hackers demanded a ransom of US$8 million (approximately Rp 130 billion) from the government. This ransomware attack is quite concerning given the importance of the PDNS function in the government system.
PDNS is part of an initiative to realize the National Data Center (PDN), which is an implementation of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) 95 of 2018 concerning Electronic-Based Government Systems (SPBE). The PDN is designed as an infrastructure to place, store, process, and recover data used by all government institutions.
Before the PDN, the electronic systems of central and regional government agencies operated separately. With the PDN, data from various agencies will be integrated, simplifying management and increasing efficiency.
The construction of the PDN is a government priority, with the first PDN built in the Deltamas Cikarang industrial complex, Bekasi, West Java, in 2022. In addition, the second PDN was built in Nongsa Digital Park, Batam, the third PDN in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, and the fourth PDN in Labuan Bajo to connect western and eastern Indonesia. The construction of all PDN infrastructure is targeted to be completed this year.
This ransomware attack serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity in protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure. The efforts of BSSN, Kominfo, and the Cybercrime Unit of the National Police in handling this incident demonstrate the government’s seriousness in maintaining the security of its data and electronic systems.
