Cybercrime in Indonesia: a Legal Perspective and Countermeasures

Abstract

The rapid advancement of information and communication technology in the era of globalization has significantly transformed modern society's activities while simultaneously triggering the emergence of cybercrime. Cybercrime refers to unlawful acts utilizing electronic systems or the internet as a means or object of crime, characterized by its borderless nature, anonymity, and broad impact on economic, social, and national security dimensions. This study aims to analyze the development and forms of cybercrime in Indonesia, as well as to examine its legal perspective and countermeasure strategies. Employing a normative legal research method, this paper analyzes relevant statutory regulations and legal literature. The findings indicate that cybercrime in Indonesia manifests in various modes, including hacking, cracking, phishing, online scams, cyberbullying, ransomware, and personal data theft. The rise of these crimes is driven by high internet usage unmapped by digital literacy, system vulnerabilities, and economic motives. From a legal perspective, Indonesia has established a legal framework through the Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) Law and the Personal Data Protection Law. However, law enforcement continues to face complex hurdles, such as cross-border jurisdictional conflicts, digital evidence verification, limited human resource capacity, and inadequate digital forensic infrastructure. Therefore, tackling cybercrime requires a comprehensive blend of penal and non-penal approaches, encompassing adaptive regulatory updates, law enforcement capacity building, enhanced national cybersecurity, community digital literacy education, and international cooperation.