Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – A contract teacher from Banyuwangi, identified as Barik Abdul Ghofur, 25, has been arrested for hacking into the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) website and selling the stolen data on the dark web, allegedly earning $8,000 (approximately Rp 121 million).
Himawan Bayu Aji, Director of Cyber Crime at the Indonesian National Police, confirmed the arrest on Tuesday. "The suspect's modus operandi involved illegal access to the BKN website and selling the data through a site called breachforum for personal gain," Himawan said.
Barik allegedly breached the BKN website on August 9 and subsequently sold the data on breachforums.io. "On the forum, many credentials, including usernames and passwords from electronic systems around the world, can be found," he added.
Investigations revealed that Barik had previously hacked into universities in the United States and private companies in South Africa. Barik now faces a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years for his actions.
Cyber attacks on government agencies have become increasingly frequent, prompting the establishment of a fourth branch of the Indonesian military, the Cyber Force, alongside the Army, Navy, and Air Force. On June 20, a breach occurred at the Temporary National Data Center (PDNS) 2 in Surabaya, disrupting critical government services, including immigration and school admissions.
On Sept. 18, a hacker known as Bjorka recently reported hacking the personal data of 6 million taxpayers, including President Jokowi and other high-ranking officials, and offered it for sale on the dark web for $10,000.