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National Cyber and Crypto Agency

Badan Siber dan Sandi Negara
Seal of the National Cyber and Crypto Agency
Flag of the National Cyber and Crypto Agency
Agency overview
Formed	4 April 1946; 78 years ago (1946-04-04) (as National Crypto Agency) 8 April 2014; 10 years ago (2014-04-08) (as Cyber Information Defense and Security Desk) 19 May 2017; 7 years ago (2017-05-19) (as National Cyber and Crypto Agency)
Preceding agencies	National Crypto Agency Cyber Information Defense and Security Desk, 7th Deputy (Coordination of Communication, Information, and Apparatuses), Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Directorate of Information Security, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology Indonesia Security Incident Response Team on Internet Infrastructure/Coordination Center, Directorate of Application and Informatics, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
Jurisdiction	Indonesia
Agency executives	Vacant, Chief Police Inspector General Soetanto, Vice Chief
Website	www.bssn.go.id

National Cyber and Crypto Agency (Indonesian: Badan Siber dan Sandi Negara, lit. 'State Cyber and Signal Agency', abbreviated as BSSN), is Indonesia's primary signal intelligence agency, as well as cyber intelligence, cyber threat intelligence, cyber defense, and cyber security agency.^[1]

The National Cyber and Crypto Agency originates from two preceding agencies, the National Crypto Agency (Lembaga Sandi Negara, lit. 'State Signal Agency', abbreviated as Lemsaneg) and the Cyber Information Defense and Security Desk (Desk Ketahanan dan Keamanan Informasi Cyber Nasional, abbreviated as DK2ICN).

Lemsaneg was Indonesia's primary signal intelligence agency. It was founded by Lieutenant colonel (then finally attained the rank of Major general) Dr. Roebiono Kertopati [id], a medical doctor assigned to Indonesia's intelligence department at that time, Section B of the Ministry of Defense. At that time, this section was mainly responsible for strategic intelligence analyses during the Indonesian National Revolution. He was assigned to the department by Amir Sjarifuddin, Ministry of Defence at that time, to build a unit for signal intelligence. As a result, Code Service (Dinas Code) was founded on 4 April 1946. As a medical doctor, he had no background or formal training in intelligence and signal intelligence. However, during his assignment, he completed various crash courses in intelligence and signal intelligence. In 1949, during the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference period, he completed a signal intelligence course from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and developed various cryptography methods. His cryptography methods proved useful to secure the transmission of encrypted messages and government communications, during wartime and peacetime.^[2]

On 2 September 1949, the Code Service was renamed to the Crypto Bureau (Djawatan Sandi (old spelling), Jawatan Sandi (new spelling)), through Ministry of Defense Decree Number (No.) 11/MP/1949 and placed under the Ministry of Defense. On 16 January 1950, based om Presidential Decree No. 65/1950, the Crypto Bureau separated on the Ministry of Defense to directly under the Office of The Prime Minister of Indonesia.^[3]

On 22 February 1972, through Presidential Decree No. 7/1972, the Crypto Bureau was renamed to the National Crypto Agency (Lembaga Sandi Negara, lit. 'State Signal Agency', abbreviated as Lemsaneg).^[4] The name was used until 2017.

DK2ICN was a coordinating desk under 7th Deputy (Coordination of Communication, Information, and Apparatuses) of Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (CMPLSA), created through CMPLSA Decree No. 24/2014.^[5] The coordination desk was a consortium and membered by representatives from the CMPLSA, the Agency of Assessment and Application of Technology [id] (abbreviated as BPPT), the Indonesian Telematic Society (Masyarakat Telematika Indonesia, abbreviated as Mastel), Association of Indonesia Internet Provider (Asosiasi Penyedia Jasa Internet Indonesia, abbreviated as APJII), Indonesian Internet Domain Name Registry (Pengelola Nama Domain Internet Indonesia, abbreviated as PANDI), and independents. Along with the decree, the proposal of a future National Cyber Agency (Badan Cyber Nasional, abbreviated as BCN) drafted by the National Security Council (Dewan Ketahanan Nasional, abbreviated as Wantannas) was also included. Until the agency formed, DK2ICN was still responsible for cyber defense and cyber intelligence.^[6]

The predecessor of DK2ICN was the National Cyber Security Desk (Desk Keamanan Siber Nasional, abbreviated as DKSN) under Wantannas in 2013. DK2ICN was later renamed the National Cyberspace Desk (Desk Cyberspace Nasional, abbreviated as DCN) under Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs in 2016.^[7]

Prior to the BSSN's formation, state cyber activities were carried out by the military intelligence agency and Cyber Operations Unit, the national police force (Directorate of Cyber Crime of the Criminal Investigation Agency), the State Intelligence Agency (Deputy VI), the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (7th Deputy), the Ministry of Defense (Cyber Defense Center), the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Directorate of Informatics Application Control, Directorate of Information Security, and ID-SIRTII/CC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Directorate of Diplomatic Security of General Directorate Public Information and Diplomatics), and each ministry's Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT). Each agency had its own interests and functions but primarily contributed for security purposes and protecting their own cyber infrastructure.^[8]

Joko Widodo, however, seemed displeased with BCN proposal. He thinks that the proposed BCN is still lacking something important: infrastructure and human resources. Due to infeasibility of the formation of a new agency such as BCN, he later chose to upgrade Lemsaneg, which have preexisting infrastructures and readily available human resources. He subsequently combined Lemsaneg and DK2ICN into new agency: BSSN.^[9] On 19 May 2017, Presidential Decree No. 53/2017, the constituting document of BSSN, was signed by him. The decree also ordered that Ministry of Communication and Information Technology's Directorate of Information Security, and ID-SIRTII/CC to be handed to BSSN to provide BSSN access to state IT infrastructure security and state network protection. The decree, however, decreed that the BSSN become subordinate of Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs for temporary coordinating purposes.^[10] On 16 December 2017, he signed Presidential Decree No.133/2017. The decree taking out the BSSN from Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs to be directed under the President.^[11]

Latest organization structure of BSSN was established through Presidential Decree No. 28/2021.^[12] The structure later expanded by Chief of BSSN Decree No. 4/2023.^[13]

1. Office of the Chief of BSSN
2. Office of the Vice Chief of BSSN
3. Main Secretariat
   1. Bureau of Planning and Finance
   2. Bureau of Organization and Human Resource
   3. Bureau of Law Affairs and Public Communication
      • Division of Strategic Support and Central Leadership Administration
        1. Subdivision of Administration of the Office of the Chief of BSSN
        2. Subdivision of Administration of the Office of the Vice Chief of BSSN
        3. Subdivision of Administration of the Office of Main Secretariat of BSSN
        4. Subdivision of Administration of the Office of Deputy I
        5. Subdivision of Administration of the Office of Deputy II
        6. Subdivision of Administration of the Office of Deputy III
        7. Subdivision of Administration of the Office of Deputy IV
   4. Bureau of General Affairs
      • Household and State Property Section
        1. Subdivision of Household Affairs and Security
      • Goods/Services Procurement Section
4. Deputy for Strategy and Policy of Cyber Security and Crypto (Deputy I)
   1. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto Strategy
   2. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto Policies on Government Affairs
   3. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto Policies on Technological Affairs
   4. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto Policies on Human Resource Affairs
5. Deputy for Cyber Security and Crypto Operations (Deputy II)
   1. Directorate of Cyber Security Operations
   2. Directorate of Information Security and Control Operations
   3. Directorate of Crypto
6. Deputy for Government Cyber Security and Crypto and Human Resource Development (Deputy III)
   1. Directorate of Central Government Affairs on Cyber Security and Crypto
   2. Directorate of Regional Governments Affairs on Cyber Security and Crypto
   3. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto Human Resource Development
7. Deputy of Cyber Security and Signal Intelligence in Economy (Deputy IV)
   1. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto for Finance, Trading, and Tourism Affairs
   2. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto for Energy and Natural Resources Affairs
   3. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto for Information Technology, Communication, Media, and Transportation Affairs
   4. Directorate of Cyber Security and Crypto for Industrial Affairs
8. Office of Inspectorate General
9. Centers^[13]
   1. Center of Cyber Technologies and Crypto Technologies Certification
   2. Center of Data, Information Technology, and Communication
   3. Center of Human Resource Development
10. Technical Units
    1. Electronic Certification Center
    2. Batam Signal Detection Center
    3. Crypto Museum

The BSSN, since was developed from Lemsaneg, it inherited Lemsaneg's primary training facility, STSN (Sekolah Tinggi Sandi Negara), which now become PoltekSSN (State Signal Polytechnics).

In the past, during the Indonesian National Revolution, the Dinas Code held internships for those interested in being signal intelligence operators. During its formation period in peacetime, in the 1950s–1960s (now known as Djawatan Sandi), Djawatan Sandi relied on a special training program called Pendidikan Sandiman dan Juru Sandi (Education of Signal Operators and Signal Expert). In 1969, the program was elevated into Pendidikan Ahli Sandi Gaya Baru (New Style Signal Expert Education). In 1973, the program was later upgraded with many resources, becoming a school under the name AKSARA (Akademi Sandi Negara, State Signal Academy). The school was later formally established in 1974, gaining approval by the Department of Education and Culture in 1975. AKSARA subsequently became STSN in 2002 and was formally established as an official state school by Presidential Decree No. 22/2003.^[14] STSN became PoltekSSN in 2019, after Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education Decree No. 03/M/I/2018 on upgrading STSN to Polytechnics. It was later approved through Ministry of State Apparatuses and Bureaucratic Reform Decree No. B/1007/M.KT.01/2019, and Chief of BSSN Decree No. 12/2019.^[14]

Aside from PoltekSSN's rigorous education to train future BSSN members, BSSN also held less rigorous training for field and applied operators from another institutions. This program is called Diklat Sandiman (Signal Operators Short courses), which is available in 2 levels: Level II (Signal Operators) and Level I (Signal Expert).^[15]