A Series of Internet Security Incidents Experienced by Communities in Remote Areas

A survey conducted by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) in collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics' BAKTI (Development of Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure) revealed several internet security issues experienced by people in underdeveloped areas.

19.20% of respondents in underdeveloped regions reported experiencing online fraud. 17.50% encountered hoaxes or misinformation online, 12.7% experienced personal data theft or phishing, and 10% had their devices infected with viruses. Furthermore, 4.30% of respondents were unable to access certain application accounts, and 3.10% experienced other internet security issues.

Conversely, 33.20% of respondents in underdeveloped areas reported never experiencing any internet security issues.

The survey also investigated the efforts made by people in underdeveloped areas to protect their data. 26.40% of respondents regularly changed their passwords, 19.90% used strong, unpredictable passwords, and 11.30% exercised caution when using applications requesting personal data.

The APJII and Kominfo survey involved 1,950 respondents from 64 underdeveloped districts across 17 provinces. Respondents were selected using probability sampling.

Data collection was conducted from July to September 2024 through face-to-face and telephone interviews.

59.23% of respondents were male, and 40.77% were female. Respondents were predominantly millennials aged 28-43 (40.10%), followed by Generation Z aged 12-27 (34.36%), and Generation X aged 44-59 (6.05%).

The survey used multiple-answer questions, allowing respondents to select more than one answer.