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Cyberattack Shuts Down Media Outlet: Threat to Press Freedom
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JAKARTA — May 9, 2024 — A severe cyberattack, specifically a DDoS attack, has shut down the Indonesian news website, Suara.com. The attack, which occurred on April 15th, crippled the site, raising concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists, according to reports. The Alliance of Self-reliant Journalists (AJI) and the Journalist safety Committee (KKJ) are calling for government intervention to address rising attacks on media outlets and protect the right to access information.
Cyberattack Shuts Down Media Outlet: A Threat to Press Freedom
A major Indonesian news website, Suara.com, was recently targeted by a massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, raising concerns about press freedom and the increasing vulnerability of media outlets to cyber threats. The Alliance of Self-reliant Journalists (AJI) and the Journalist Safety Committee (KKJ) have strongly condemned the attack,highlighting its potential to silence critical voices and restrict public access to information.
The Anatomy of the Attack
On April 15, 2025, Suara.com experienced a crippling DDoS attack that rendered the site inaccessible for a notable period. Suwarjono, the Editor-in-Chief of Suara.com, described the attack as both massive and sustained, stating that almost 285 million DDoS attacks occurred in 1.5 hours.
Did You Know?
A DDoS, or denial-of-service, attack is when hackers flood a system with attacks from all angles, targeting web servers, internal networks, or anything else they can access [[3]].
The attack was reportedly carried out by bots using IP addresses from various countries, primarily within Europe.Random attacks from various country regions,
Suwarjono noted, specifying that the IPs largely originated from the Netherlands, Croatia, Indonesia, Romania, australia, and the United States.
Targeting Critical Journalism
Suara.com’s Special Coverage Channel (LiKS), known for its in-depth reporting on sensitive topics such as politics, law, human rights, security, and the economy, has also been subjected to intense cyberattacks in the days leading up to the DDoS incident. Suwarjono emphasized the importance of this channel, stating that the articles it carries are the core of Suara.com’s journalism.
A Growing Trend of Digital Attacks
Erick Tanjung, the Advocacy chair of AJI and Coordinator of KKJ, pointed out that digital attacks against the media are becoming increasingly common.We have seen a rising trend of attacks against journalists in the past year, the latest being digital attacks,
he said.
Pro Tip: Securing your Website Against DDoS Attacks
- Implement a Web Submission Firewall (WAF).
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute traffic.
- Employ rate limiting to restrict the number of requests from a single IP address.
- Monitor your network traffic for suspicious activity.
Tanjung drew parallels to a previous cyberattack on Tempo, another Indonesian media outlet, following its publication of an investigative report on online gambling involving politicians. We observed this attack based on the verifications of AJI and KKJ,at the moment,due to its connection with the news or journalistic work,
he explained.
Implications for Press Freedom
AJI and KKJ have strongly condemned the attack, viewing it as a direct assault on press freedom and a detriment to the public’s right to access information. The attack prevents the public from accessing the news on the site during the attack,
Erick Tanjung stated.
While the specific article that triggered the attack remains unconfirmed, there is speculation that it may be linked to reports critical of government policies, including the TNI bill and the Free Nutritious Meals program. The latest one has a lot of news regarding criticisms of the Free Nutritious Meals program,
Tanjung noted.
Call for government Intervention
AJI and KKJ are currently assisting Suara.com in its recovery efforts. While legal action is being considered, AJI is awaiting a final decision from the media outlet. Both organizations are urging the government to take decisive action to address the broader issue of cyberattacks against the media.
As a country, the government must ensure press freedom in Indonesia.For example, all reported attacks must have their legal processes completed.
Erick Tanjung, Advocacy Chair of AJI and Coordinator of KKJ
FAQ: Understanding DDoS Attacks and Press Freedom
- What is a DDoS attack?
- A ddos attack floods a system with traffic from multiple sources, overwhelming it and making it unavailable to legitimate users [[3]].
- Why are media outlets targeted by ddos attacks?
- DDoS attacks can be used to censor or silence media outlets by preventing them from publishing information [[2]].
- What can be done to protect media outlets from cyberattacks?
- Implementing robust cybersecurity measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and government intervention to investigate and prosecute cyber attackers are crucial.
- Who is behind these attacks?
- Hackers, sometimes state-sponsored, or hacktivists [[2]].
