Indonesian Tax Agency Probes Massive Data Breach Amid Cybersecurity Concerns

Indonesia's tax agency is probing a significant data breach that reportedly exposed taxpayer identification numbers of millions, including President Jokowi and his ministers. The breach is part of a series of cyber-attacks targeting Indonesian entities, pointing to weaker personal data protection measures by the government.

Indonesia's tax agency is investigating a significant data breach that has allegedly exposed the taxpayer identification numbers of millions of citizens, including President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, his ministers, and his sons, an official has confirmed. The breach is part of a trend of increasing cyber-attacks targeting Indonesian companies and government agencies over recent years, attributed to lax personal data protection by experts.

Cybersecurity expert Teguh Aprianto posted a screenshot on social media platform X on Wednesday, displaying samples of national identity and taxpayer identification numbers of 6 million Indonesians, including those of Jokowi and several of his ministers. The tax agency is currently investigating the 'circulating information of a data breach,' according to agency official Dwi Astuti, who refrained from providing further details.

Reuters has not yet been able to confirm the validity of the data breach claims. Jokowi's office has not responded to requests for comments. Teguh warned that the exposure of taxpayer data could lead to targeted scam operations resulting in significant material or immaterial loss and could also reveal individuals' earnings or transaction data. The alleged breach follows a ransomware attack in June that crippled several government services, such as immigration and major airports, leading the government to initiate an audit.

(With inputs from agencies.)