Russian Companies to Seek Cooperation With Indonesia on IT, Cybersecurity
Jakarta. Russia expressed interest on Monday (24/07) to help Indonesia strengthen its cybersecurity.
The matter was raised during a round-table conference in Jakarta, attended by a Russian business delegation comprising leading companies in the information technology field, and their Indonesian counterparts.
Speaking during the opening session of the conference on advanced IT and cybersecurity technologies at JW Marriott Hotel in Kuningan, South Jakarta, Russian Ambassador Mikhail Galuzin expressed optimism for mutually beneficial cooperation in cybersecurity technologies between the two countries.
"[…] I'm confident that if we combine our potentials in the IT and cybersecurity field, it will bring fantastic, fruitful results for our two countries and its people," Galuzin said.
He also remarked on the success by Russian companies to provide innovative solutions to cybersecurity challenges, and said the conference reflects conformity to agreements between President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, last year.
Putin reportedly described their meeting in Sochi, southern Russia, as "constructive" and said the two countries had to maintain bilateral relations and boost bilateral interaction.
Since then, several cooperation agreements in different fields have been seen, including the signing of five memoranda of understanding that cover cooperation in defense, cultural exchange and the eradication of illegal fishing.
On multiple occasions earlier this year, Indonesian and Russian delegations met and agreed to work together to improve counterterrorism efforts and explore cooperation in cybersecurity.
Andrey Bezrukov, president of the Russian Association of High-Technology Security Exports, said Russia is seeking to assist Indonesia in becoming more independent in the cybersecurity field.
"What we would like to propose is a joint development with Indonesia; a joint development of cyber-, communications and big data systems. We're looking forward to creating a center where Russian and Indonesian researchers can work together," Bezrukov said.
He added that the Monday conference sought to establish a foundation for effective cooperation between Russian firms and Indonesian companies and governmental bodies in IT and cybersecurity.
The Russian delegation includes representatives from Kaspersky Lab, Intelligent Security Systems (ISS), Cybrus, Russoft Association, InfoWatch and the Center for Eurasian Cooperation and Development.
Rosan Roeslani, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said the country's vulnerability to cyberattacks puts great pertinence on the need to establish a strong cybersecurity across all institutions.
"Indonesia experiences many cyberattacks every day. We do not have coordinated cyber-defense yet. In such situation, cybersecurity is becoming [more] imperative," Rosan said during the opening session of the conference.
Jokowi issued a presidential regulation in May that officially recognized the National Cyber Agency, tasked with consolidating cybersecurity measures across state institutions, following the ransomware attack that affected government and private sector networks across the globe.
In Indonesia, the Wannacry ransomware affected Dharmais Hospital and Harapan Kita Hospital, disrupting their access the government health care system and affecting their services.
With confidence in Russia's capabilities in advanced information technology and cybersecurity, Rosan said the conference "opens the possibility for two countries to cultivate untapped potential in this field."
Indonesia also previously discussed cybersecurity issues with Australia, India and Singapore.
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