Data security expert from ITS Bekti Cahyo Hidayanto SSi MKom urges us to be wary of hacking

ITS Campus, ITS News – Recently, Indonesia has been shocked by data hacking in several government agencies. As a result, various agencies are increasingly aggressive to improve their data security. In response to this, a data security expert from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Bekti Cahyo Hidayanto SSi MKom appealed to the public, including the ITS academic community, to be more aware of the dangers of data hacking.

This ITS Information Systems Department lecturer revealed that cyber attacks can be caused by various factors. However, the most difficult factor is the “human” factor, who has access to Information Technology (IT) resources. Generally due to a lack of knowledge about cybersecurity, culture, and also carelessness.

People who have access to applications and or data sources are tricked with phishing links. “With phishing techniques, let alone combined with social engineering techniques, crackers lure victims by providing a link to retrieve account data consisting of a username and password,” he said.

Easy-to-guess password usage also makes it easier for crackers to brute-force the application. Namely an attempt to access an account by guessing the username and password. “Not kidding, they can break into in seconds with a certain algorithm to hack the usernames and passwords of users,” said Bekti reminded.

As a result, continued Bekti, data could be misused if it fell into the wrong hands. Among other things, it can be in the form of account burglary, fraud, dropping reputation, data manipulation, black campaign, and others. After successfully hacking, the cracker does not just disappear. “Usually, they will direct it as if the traces are there, and if they are forensic examined, they will make other people as scapegoats for their actions,” explained the bespectacled lecturer.

In addition, Bekti said that there are several ways admins can do to improve data security, namely creating a Disaster Recovery Center and conducting Penetration Testing. Disaster recovery is building a copy server that replaces the main server when a problem occurs. Then, penetration testing is a routine preventive measure taken to find security holes in the system so that the system is hard to penetrate.

Illustration of data hacking (source from Liputan6.com)

Turning to ITS, Bekti confirmed that ITS has good data encryption. In terms of infrastructure, ITS hardware and software should have been well structured since the system was built. “A good system must also be supported by users who are wise in protecting their data, such as not giving personal usernames and passwords to other people,” said Bekti.

In line with this, the Head of the ITS Public Communication Unit (UKP), Dr Rahmatsyam Lakoro, SSn MT, advised that data security can be viewed from a technological and social perspective. From a technology perspective, ITS has tried to maximize the protection of its academic community data. “Meanwhile, from a social perspective, data security is the interaction of the ITS academic community, both students, lecturers, and education staff on the use of the data,” he said.

He also explained that the social engineering mode that currently trending as a form of fraud to retrieve data could be prevented by following the procedures and mechanisms for providing data.ou “Never give data to unknown parties. The procedure is, there will always be an official request, not just through direct messages, for example,” the lecturer from the Visual Communication Design Department (DKV) reminded. (ITS PR)

Reporter: Tariq Agfi Hermawan