By: Rias Hayu Hartini *)
In the hyper-digital era, threats to national sovereignty no longer always come in the form of military invasion or physical infiltration. These threats now move silently through fiber optic cables, data centers, applications, personal devices, and the information traffic we use every day. Espionage has evolved into nearly silent cyber operations, yet its impact can cripple economies, damage a country’s reputation, and even influence the direction of national policy.
Therefore, Indonesian society needs to start raising awareness that foreign espionage is real, empirical, and occurring every day. In international security studies, espionage is not a conspiracy theory, but rather a practice that has existed since the Greek, Roman, and Persian eras, right up to modern warfare. Now, its form has evolved into cyberespionage: the theft of strategic information through the digital sphere.
Ali Wibisono, Head of the Graduate Program in International Relations at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia, explained that the practice of digital information theft actually involves several Indonesian regulations, from the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) to the Criminal Code (KUHP) concerning treason and the theft of strategic state information. However, Indonesia’s main problem currently lies in the need for a solid and integrated national framework defining espionage and strategic information, as well as an institution with the primary mandate to address these threats.
Ali Wibisono also reminded that Indonesia still needs a uniform national standard for strategic information protection across institutions. This will prevent data protection and digital security governance from being scattered across various institutions due to differing procedures, which can lead to weak accountability and coordination.
Furthermore, Ali Wibisono revealed that modern espionage threats often hide behind cyberattacks that appear to be ordinary crimes. Ransomware attacks, for example, are not always purely economic crimes but can be a cover for state-sponsored information theft operations.
This means this issue is no longer solely the responsibility of state security elites. Civil society must also be aware and vigilant. In the context of cyber sovereignty, citizens can no longer remain passive about their own digital security. The habit of carelessly sharing personal data, using unprotected platforms, or neglecting the security of personal devices can open the door to greater exploitation. The public needs to understand that modern espionage often operates through seemingly voluntary consent: data is provided by users themselves, then processed into instruments of political and economic influence.
Therefore, building public awareness about foreign espionage must begin with basic digital literacy, such as protecting personal data, understanding the risks of digital applications, strengthening device authentication, and being more critical of information traffic. Cyber sovereignty is not just a matter for the state, but also the ability of citizens to safeguard their own digital space.
In many countries, this awareness has been translated into clear legal frameworks. The United States has various regulations related to espionage and strategic information security, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The United Kingdom has the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA). Singapore passed the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act (FICA) to counter foreign interference in the digital space and domestic politics. Australia has also strengthened its anti-foreign interference legislation in recent years.
Indonesia also needs strategic regulations. The Subversive Law was indeed revoked because it was deemed no longer in line with the spirit of democracy and the protection of civil rights. However, this revocation does not mean the country can be complacent about the growing threat of foreign espionage. Modern democracies still require clear legal instruments to protect national strategic information, of course, with clear lines of accountability and respect for human rights.
Edy Prasetyono, an expert on the drafting of the State Intelligence Law and a lecturer in international relations at the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, emphasized that nearly every country in the world has policy and regulatory frameworks related to espionage threats. He believes Indonesia’s primary concern lies not simply in the presence or absence of such threats, but rather in the need for a robust legal and institutional framework governing the protection of the country’s strategic information.
Edy Prasetyono also warned that the threat of espionage could undermine technological competitiveness, disrupt sensitive infrastructure, tarnish international reputations, and even hinder strategic cooperation with other countries. Developed nations would reconsider sharing sensitive technology if Indonesia was deemed to lack a credible information protection system.
This is where the urgency of building national awareness emerges. Indonesia must not become a “battlefield for espionage” for foreign powers vying for influence in the region. If that happens, national development could be disrupted, investment weakened, international trust diminished, technology transfer hampered, and strategic policies easily manipulated from outside.
Moreover, amidst increasingly intense global competition—from the struggle for chip technology, artificial intelligence, energy, to digital data—Indonesia holds a highly strategic geopolitical position. Countries with strategic positions are always targets for intelligence gathering.
Therefore, Indonesia needs to move in three directions simultaneously: strengthening regulations, building technological capacity, and raising public awareness. Regulations are needed to clearly define strategic information, ensure institutional authority, and protect citizens’ rights. Technological capacity is crucial to prevent Indonesia from simply relying on foreign systems without its own protective capabilities. Most fundamentally, the public must understand that digital security is integral to modern national defense.
*) cyber observer