INDONESIA’S NETIZEN POTENTIAL ON COUNTER-CYBER RADICALIZATION Rizky Reza Lubis1 Indonesia Defense University ([email protected]) Abstract - This paper discusses the process of radicalization in cyberspace. It will look at how and why Indonesia are vulnerable in society and targeted by terrorist organizations in an attempt to recruit them, especially in cyberspace. The terrorists have become expert, not only using the latest tools of internet communications, but to do it in a way that can shield their identities and even their locations when spreading the radical ideology. The concept that used in this paper is cyber-radicalization, which is the new concept that merged from cyber threat and radicalization. The result from this paper shown that Indonesia netizens (internet users) had great potency to fight radicalization in the cyberspace and the capacity for supporting government counter-cyber radicalization agenda. However, fighting cyber radicalization in that way faced several challenges. Therefore, Indonesia’s government should benefited the netizens to reach the optimum point on counter-cyber radicalization agenda. Keywords: cyber, radicalization, terrorism, Indonesia Preface nitially the Internet was created to However, it also experienced a shift in facilitate communication between function, the Internet is also used as a I the academic and military circles medium in committing criminal acts, one connected in the network of The of which is acts of terrorism. Terror acts Advanced Research Projects Agency carried out with internet related Network (ARPANET) in 1969.2 Along with instruments are known as cyber terrorism the development of Technology and acts. Cyber terrorism poses a threat to Information (ICT), the internet can be used state defense and security because it is freely as a public service to communicate. capable of destruction, alteration, and acquisition and retransmission to real objects and cyber networks.3 1 The alumni of Indonesia Defense University, Defense Diplomacy Study Program. 2 Petrus Reinhard Golose, Seputar Kejahatan Hacking: Teori dan Studi Kasus, (Jakarta: Yayasan Pengembangan Kajian Kepolisian Indonesia, 2008). 3 Dorothy E. Denning, Terror’s Web: How the Internet Is Transforming Terrorism, Handbook on Internet Crime, (New York: Willan Publishing, 2009). Indonesia’s Netizen Potential on Counter-Cyber Radicalization | Rizky Reza Lubis | 19 According to Dorothy E. Denning, Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty the phrase cyber terrorism was first Act of 1996 used the website to commit created in 1982 by Barry Collin who acts of terrorism.7 emphasized his definition of the situation The use of cyberspace in acts of when the physical world and cyberspace terror is a real and new threat to some collide,4 then when a crime or act of terror countries.8 The worst scenario is when a occurs in the situation it is later called as country will not only take steps that have cyber terrorism.5 Collin asserted that in been controlled by the majority of future cyber warfare will involve terrorists countries, that is the traditional approach; who use cyberspace to carry out their Military facing military or state facing the attacks on critical infrastructure. With the country. But the enemy will have an rapid development of technology today, it unprecedented new pattern, including the is possible to perform an attack through a utilization of non-state actors that trigger single push of a button on the computer to asymmetric warfare, one of which is the damage and blow up infrastructure use of terrorist groups.9 Terrorists resulting in casualties, material loss and performing their action on cyberspace and disruptive impact on state stability.6 get support from a country will be a global Relevant to the process of establishing threat. Countries that benefit from this and running an organization of terrorism, context are countries that have superior which tend to closely related to the technological capabilities (predominantly development of technology, especially the developed countries) and are willing to Internet. There has been a great deal of seriously exploit the potential of terrorist crime within cyberspace, its cyberspace as an element of state defense starting point in 1998 in which half of the and security.10 thirty terrorist organizations set by the U.S 4 The word cyberspace often used as cyber world 8 James Andrew Lewis, Assessing the Risks of which means being in the realm of cyberspace. Cyber Terrorism, Cyber War and Other Cyber 5 Dorothy E. Denning, op. cit., pp. 194-212 Threats, (Washington, DC: Center for Strategic 6 Clay Wilson, “Computer Attack and Cyber & International Studies, 2002). Terrorism: Vulnerabilities and Policy Issues for 9 David J. Kilcullen, “Three Pillars of Congress”, Focus on Terrorism, Vol. 9, 2003, pp. Counterinsurgency”, Pidato pada the U.S 1-42. Government Counterinsurgency Conference, 7 Petrus Reinhard Golose, Invasi terorisme ke Washington D.C, 28 September 2006, on cyberspace. (Jakarta: YPKIK/Yayasan https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237 Pengembangan Kajian Ilmu Kepolisian, 2015). 538249_Three_Pillars_of_Counterinsurgency. 10 James Andrew Lewis, op.cit, hlm. 4. 20 | Journal of Defense & State Defense | August 2017, Volume 7 Number 2 Interestingly, in addition to and extreme ideology tend to get the committing acts of terror, terrorist courage to join the terrorist network networks utilize cyberspace as a medium after obtaining radical material on the in spreading radical or radicalization. internet. Despite the many positive things of the 4. The Internet provides higher security Internet, the internet with all the features guarantees than radicalization in the and freedom of access (especially in real world. Given the teaching of radical democracies) provides opportunities to ideology can be done without having to occur or at least support radicalization meet directly. This will guarantee effectively and efficiently. The opportunity confidentiality of identity and location. referred to the research of Von Bher, Anais With all the advantages provided by Reding, and Edward Gribbon on the internet in the context of "radicalization in the digital age" radicalization in cyberspace, the elaborated with the author's analysis, as government's handling also needs to be in follows:11 cyberspace. Interestingly, for democracies 1. Internet connecting people without that have the demand to guarantee knowing the territorial borders of the freedom of expression and association country opens the opportunity to suffer a dilemma when implementing disseminate and instill ideology and counter-cyber radicalization programs or radical understanding to all internet counter-radicalization efforts in users in the world. cyberspace. The country cannot brutally 2. Internet as "echo-chamber", where the block the websites and social media internet provides easy access to obtain because it would violate some of its various information, including citizens' rights. In addition, the information about terrorism. The assessment of "terrorists" and "radicals" information obtained will continue to is the subjectivity of its judges. So, the grow and spread to other media. process of filtering web sites and social 3. The Internet becomes an accelerator of media accounts are very selective. The radicalization. Internet users who have government needs a creative way of an understanding that leads to radical 11 Von Bher et. al., Radicalization in the Digital Era, (Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2013). Indonesia’s Netizen Potential on Counter-Cyber Radicalization | Rizky Reza Lubis | 21 counter-cyber radicalization without with the development of technology, violating the rights of its citizens. radicalization or how to spread radical understanding also experiences the Cyber Radicalization development of cyberspace, as Before going further in discussing mentioned earlier, namely cyber radicalism in cyberspace, basically radicalization. Here are the phases of radicalization needs to be understood not radicalization along with the development as a form of dissemination of terror, but as of technology:14 a “process” in developing extremist • Phase 1: In 1984, radicalization began ideology and belief. Referring to the with sermons / lectures, printed Oxford Dictionary, Radicalization is an act newspapers / magazines, and video or process that causes individuals to be in tapes of lectures or "struggles" by a radical position in political and social force. 12 issues. This is in line with the definition of • Phase 2: The mid-1990s, internet sites, 13 radicalization of Wilner and Dubouloz: such as Al-Neda and Azzam “Radicalization is a personal process Publications. in which individuals adopt extreme political, social, and/or religious • Phase 3: Mid 2000s, interactive forum ideals and aspirations, and where on cyberspace. At that time began to the attainment of particular goals justifies the use of indiscriminate emerge online forums of discussion on violence. It is both a mental and extremist ideology and belief. emotional process that prepares and motivates an individual to pursue • Phase 4: late 2000s; the spread of violent behavior”. radicalism into the realm of social Thus, from this definition it can be media along with the increase of social understood that radicalization as a media users. The social media that is “process” in making individuals adopt often used is Facebook, Youtube and radical thinking that has consequences for Twitter. acts of terrorism and extremism. Along 12 “Radicalization”,