Ministry of Defense Affirms TNI Cyber Tasks for Defense

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Ministry of Defense or Kemnhan assured that the TNI's new task in military operations other than war, namely assisting in efforts to overcome cyber defense threats, is related to national defense. Therefore, the public need not worry, the TNI will threaten freedom of speech.

Head of the Defense Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defense Frega Wenas, Thursday (3/27/2025), stated that the cyber defense carried out by the TNI is not to spy on civilians. The TNI's duties are much broader than that because according to the mandate of the constitution, its focus is on upholding sovereignty, territorial integrity and national safety.

Frega said that combating cyber defense threats has become a critical domain of military operations. In the United States Armed Forces, cyber has been a separate corps since 2014.

In fact, the doctrine of multidomain operations and multidomain battle that has developed since 2017 has integrated cyber with space with land, maritime, and air. This doctrine has been adopted by many countries including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. Singapore has also formed a Cyber Force called the Digital and Intelligence Service.

The development and dynamics of cyber threats make it necessary for the TNI to also deal with cyber threats because they are related to its duties to maintain the country's sovereignty.

"So it is urgent to include cyber defense as part of one of the ways to carry out Military Operations Other Than War (OMSP) tasks," said Frega.

According to him, the public need not worry about the ratification of the revision of Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the TNI which includes cyber defense duties as duties in the OMSP. This addition is a strengthening of the professionalism of the TNI, so that it is able to carry out its duties well in line with national interests and security.

He stressed that it is not true if there is a narrative that military operations in cyberspace will suppress democracy because it limits freedom of speech. "As a democratic country, of course freedom of speech, including expressing criticism, is a natural thing," he said.

Head of the TNI Headquarters Information Center Brigadier General Kristomei Sianturi also said that there is no weakening of digital space and violation of digital rights with the new tasks in OMSP. Kristomei explained that the TNI will focus on cyber defense.

"The TNI will later focus more on cyber defense and cyber warfare because today's battles are not only open or armed battles but also non-military wars," said Kristomei.

He referred to the Russia-Ukraine war that used a lot of cyber devices. Therefore, adding tasks for TNI members in the cyber realm is the right step considering the current conditions.

"As cyber attacks on strategic infrastructure increase, the role of the TNI to help strengthen digital security is very relevant in the future," he said.

Cyber threats faced by the TNI could be in the form of attacks on military defense and command systems, such as hacking, digital sabotage, or theft of strategic data. In addition, threats to national critical infrastructure, such as attacks on electricity networks, telecommunications, transportation and several others that could impact the stability of the country.

In fact, cyber defense will also face information and disinformation operations from certain parties that threaten the country's sovereignty, including those with motives to weaken public trust in defense and government institutions, and those that have the potential to divide the nation.

In addition, the threat of cyber attacks from state or non-state actors can have an impact on national security, either in the form of espionage or cyber warfare.

In its implementation, the TNI will synergize and collaborate with other ministries and institutions that have tasks that overlap with cyber such as the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), the Ministry of Communication and Digital and the National Police.

This coordination is very important considering that the TNI's role in the cyber domain is defensive and strategic in nature to support national defense so that there will be no overlapping authority.

By strengthening cyber defense, the TNI will not take over the duties of other institutions, but will operate within the scope of national defense and in the context of national security that overlaps with state sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communication and Digital remains responsible for the regulation and management of national digital infrastructure, while BSSN focuses on national cyber security, and the National Police handles the law enforcement aspect. Cross-agency coordination will be strengthened so that each task continues to run optimally without overlapping.

All actions taken by the TNI will remain within the legal framework and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Every cyber defense operation carried out will be coordinated with related agencies to remain transparent and not violate the public's right to access information.

He emphasized that in principle, the involvement of the TNI in the realm of cyber defense is in line with the constitutional mandate to maintain state sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of the Indonesian nation.