Inside Indonesia: Indosat's role in helping workers upskill in cybersecurity

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) has positioned itself at the center of Indonesia's effort to build a resilient cybersecurity workforce. The company's initiative directly confronts the dual challenges holding back the nation's expanding digital economy: a critical shortage of skilled professionals and an escalating landscape of cyber threats. 

The scale of the cybersecurity challenge is significant. Indonesia is Southeast Asia's most frequently attacked digital economy, weathering approximately 3,300 cyberattacks each week. The first half of 2024 alone saw more than 315,000 Indonesian credentials compromised—an average of over 60 every hour. It is to counter this acute vulnerability that IOH has launched its multi-faceted talent initiative, directly supporting the government's national cybersecurity strategy.

Beyond the external threats, Indonesia faces a substantial domestic challenge: a critical shortage of skilled cybersecurity talent. Indonesia is estimated to need around 100,000 cybersecurity experts this year. Globally, the cybersecurity workforce deficit is estimated at 3.4 million professionals. In Asia, a reported 72% of cyberattacks are attributed to this shortage of skilled specialists.

While Indonesian universities are projected to produce around 9 million digital talents by 2030, national demand is expected to reach 12 million, leaving a shortfall of 3 million. The Ministry of Communications and Informatics (Kominfo) aims to train approximately 500,000 digital talents annually to bridge this gap.

Meanwhile, Indosat has developed a multi-faceted strategy aimed at cultivating cybersecurity talent across various skill levels, from basic digital literacy to specialised professional training. This approach is positioned as integral to the company's business strategy, contributing to national digital resilience while expanding the market for advanced digital services.

The company’s strategy is defined by three distinct yet complementary programs: IDCamp, the Mastercard Partnership, and Generasi Terkoneksi (GenSi).

As Indosat's flagship initiative for professional upskilling, IDCamp provides free, certified training in high-demand tech fields. Its current program, running until January 2025, has a significant focus on its dedicated cybersecurity pathway, developed in partnership with the Cisco Networking Academy. The program’s latest iteration also introduces new courses in Basic AI and Automation.

Delivered on the Dicoding platform, the cybersecurity track uses a merit-based system to guide participants from foundational courses toward the entry-level Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification. Top performers can earn further scholarships for advanced specialisations like Ethical Hacker or Network Security. 

While focusing on current needs, the program builds on a strong history: since its launch in 2019, IDCamp has awarded over 270,000 scholarships, produced more than 91,000 skilled graduates, and offers job placement assistance to participants.

While IDCamp focuses on creating specialists, Indosat's partnership with Mastercard addresses broader public cybersecurity awareness. This collaboration, involving the Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Digital (Kemkomdigi) and its Human Resource Development Agency (BPSDM Komdigi), is a mass-scale digital literacy campaign. It has a goal of upskilling one million Indonesians by 2029.

Launched in April 2024, the partnership established the Indosat-Mastercard Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CoE), focusing on education, innovation, and industry collaboration. The program is delivered through the government's official Digital Talent Scholarship (DTS) platform, providing national legitimacy and scale.

Its target audience is broad, focusing on the general public and, critically, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). With MSMEs employing 97% of Indonesia's workforce and contributing over 60% to its GDP, securing this sector is paramount for national economic resilience. 

The curriculum, delivered in Bahasa Indonesia, teaches essential cyber hygiene skills, including identifying common cyber risks, creating strong passwords, recognising phishing and malware attacks, and the importance of updating devices.

The third pillar of Indosat's strategy, Generasi Terkoneksi (GenSi), or "Connected Generation," is designed to combat the digital divide by bringing digital literacy to Indonesia's most remote areas. This is a collaborative effort involving Indosat, Kemkomdigi's ICT Training Center (BPPTIK), Cisco, and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

GenSi's primary audience is youth and women in rural and underserved communities, demographics often left behind in digital transformation. This focus is particularly relevant given that 25.8% of Indonesian youth are categorised as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). By targeting these groups, GenSi aims to provide them with the skills necessary to participate in the digital economy. 

The program's curriculum is holistic, covering foundational cybersecurity and digital safety, digital ethics, an introduction to AI, and leveraging digital tools for entrepreneurship. In May 2024, the program engaged 550 participants in North Minahasa, and in December 2024, it continued in Sorong, Papua, involving 600 digital talents.

GenSi has been presented as a model for the ITU's global Digital Transformation Center (DTC) framework, positioning it as a potential model for extending digital skills to underserved populations globally.

The scale of Indosat's cybersecurity upskilling initiatives is attributed to a multi-stakeholder ecosystem convened by the company. Indosat acts as an intermediary, weaving together government policy ambitions, the content of global technology companies, the delivery platforms of local partners, and the talent pools of academia.

Indosat's programs are integrated into official government platforms and initiatives. For instance, the mass-scale training with Mastercard is delivered through Kominfo's official Digital Talent Scholarship (DTS) platform, lending it state legitimacy and reach.

The National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) also plays a critical role, actively working to finalise National Work Competency Standards for cyber response and providing training and certification in cybersecurity across government entities. 

Recognising its areas of expertise, Indosat collaborates with global partners. Cisco provides the backbone of the professional-grade curriculum for IDCamp, with its globally recognised courses and industry-standard certifications. 

Mastercard contributes its expertise in securing digital payments, crucial for Indonesia's millions of MSMEs. Dicoding, a leading Indonesian EdTech platform, provides the digital infrastructure for IDCamp's online learning modules. This collaborative model aims to deliver comprehensive solutions at a scale and depth challenging for a single entity.

The stakes for Indonesia's digital future are immense. The country faces a relentless barrage of cyberattacks, ranking as Southeast Asia’s most targeted digital economy, while simultaneously grappling with a critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals. This dual threat jeopardises national security and economic progress, creating the high-stakes environment in which Indosat's initiatives operate.

In response, Indosat's programs deliver both scale and substance. The company has already awarded over 270,000 scholarships through IDCamp and aims to train one million Indonesians with Mastercard—a direct and substantial contribution to closing the talent gap. More than just volume, these programs provide clear pathways to professional careers through globally recognised certifications from partners like Cisco. This investment is not peripheral; it is a core component of Indosat's strategic transformation into an "AI TechCo" that depends on a cyber-resilient nation.

To secure a lasting impact, the strategic focus must now evolve from measuring participation to proving long-term employability. This next phase requires concrete actions: implementing a unified system to track graduate careers and establishing formal pathways for academic credit. Furthermore, designating Indosat’s collaborative model as a "National Strategic Project" will institutionalise these efforts, cementing the company’s pivotal role in building Indonesia’s digital defenses.