BSSN Deploys Cyber Troops To Aim For Hoaxes For The 2024 Election Using AI-made Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) illustration or artificial intelligence. (Maximalfocus-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) said it had deployed a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) team to deal with potential cyber attacks, such as artificial intelligence or AI during the 2024 election. "We have compiled roadmaps and have compiled various frameworks. We divide them into three scopes, namely before the election, during the election and after the election. During this election, it means during the election," said BSSN spokesman Ariandi Putra after the 2023 Security Day event in Jakarta, Tuesday, October 24, which was confiscated by Antara. Responding to BSSN's efforts to strengthen the computer system belonging to the General Elections Commission (KPU), Ariandi said the CSIRT team from BSSN functions as a deterrent as well as parties who will mitigate the potential for cyber attacks that come from outsiders. When there is an unusual traffic pattern detected by CSIRT on the KPU's computer system, the team will move to collect evidence and related data, then submitted to the KPU to immediately obtain follow-up. The findings reported include recommendations given by BSSN. One form of recommendation is in the form of Information Technology Security Assessment (ITSA) so that the KPU electronic system can continue to run well. "We also send a tactical team which is also to carry out various recoveries when the incident occurred. We have done that before, so it wasn't the time of the incident when the election occurred," he said. Ariandi also explained that other efforts made to protect the KPU system from leakage or data manipulation were carried out by creating a scheme of cyber threat trends for 2023. The scheme created includes technical cyber attacks such as web defacement, malware attack to phishing. Then there are also cyber attacks that are social in nature, for example hoaxes, brainwashing and indoctrination, including AI itself. "We can see these possibilities as an early mitigation. In this case, cooperation with various stakeholders in order to minimize the possibility of data leakage and also in order to strengthen the electronic system owned by the KPU," he said.

Furthermore, although CSIRT plays a role in maintaining the simultaneous election security system, the main control as the owner of the electronic system remains owned by the KPU as stated in Government Regulation Number 71 of 2019. He explained that the task and function of BSSN during the election was only to strengthen the security system, provide assessments, provide guidance and training to related ministries/agencies only. Meanwhile, for prevention, monitoring the election from before it was finished, BSSN had formed an Election Task Force which had started working from the beginning of the year until the completion of the inauguration of the president and vice president in October 2024. "After that, if there are cyber incidents and others, we have compiled all the roadmaps, including cooperation with various stakeholders such as the TNI/Polri, Bawaslu, KPU including Kominfo," he said.