Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Weak passwords and negligence in accessing the data center may have contributed to a recent breach of the taxpayer identification number database, a senior official said on Monday.

Nezar Patria, Deputy Minister of Communication and Informatics, expressed his concerns during a hearing with lawmakers regarding the alleged theft and illegal sales of taxpayer identification numbers data.

"The conclusion drawn from the incident points to carelessness in accessing the data center," Nezar said during the hearing with the House of Representatives' Defense and Foreign Affairs Commission in Jakarta.

Nezar suggested that officials responsible for the data center may have failed to implement basic cybersecurity measures, such as multifactor authentication and the use of strong, unpredictable passwords.

"We've encountered numerous cases where passwords were compromised due to their weakness," Nezar added.

Earlier, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati instructed the tax directorate to conduct an internal investigation following reports of a data breach that allegedly affected around 6 million taxpayers, including President Joko Widodo and other top state officials.

The stolen data is reportedly being offered for sale on a dark web marketplace by a hacker known as Bjorka, for $10,000.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/government-blames-weak-passwords-for-taxpayer-data-breac