The “DarkSide” ransomware cyber-attack on the US-based gasoline facility Colonial Pipeline, which has disrupted East Coast fuel supplies and invoked emergency legislation, has once again highlighted the vulnerability of a nation’s critical infrastructure to malicious cyber activity. In Australia’s immediate region, recent policy developments in Indonesia also suggest a growing awareness about the vulnerability of national critical infrastructure to cyber-attack, and the need to hasten comprehensive regulatory and policy responses. Australian security agencies are well-placed to play a key role in partnership with Indonesia as it moves to strengthen its cyber security fundamentals.
On 13 April, Indonesian President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo, moved to augment the institutional authority of Indonesia’s National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) via presidential executive order, also known as a “presidential decree” (