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Cybersecurity Management Strategies for Smart Cities in Indonesia: Cultural Factors and Implementation Challenges
Corresponding Author(s) : RG Guntur Alam
Kinetik: Game Technology, Information System, Computer Network, Computing, Electronics, and Control,
Vol. 10, No. 3, August 2025
Abstract
The implementation of smart cities in Indonesia presents significant cybersecurity challenges, particularly amid bureaucratic complexity, low digital literacy, and limited institutional capacity. This study explores cybersecurity management strategies in the context of Jakarta Smart City (JSC), emphasizing sociotechnical dynamics and embedded cultural-institutional factors. Employing a qualitative approach and the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) framework, this research examines four key moments in the stabilization of cybersecurity networks: problematization, interessement, enrollment, and mobilization. Empirical findings reveal that challenges such as fragmented governance, security awareness gaps, and limitations in technological adaptation are addressed through context-specific strategies. These include regulatory reforms, multi-stakeholder collaboration, hybrid governance models, and the localization of international standards, particularly ISO/IEC 27001. The study also incorporates Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 27/2022) as a foundational legal framework that supports the integration of regional cybersecurity policies. Rather than focusing solely on technical solutions, this research emphasizes the importance of aligning cybersecurity strategies with local norms, leadership structures, and user practices. The proposed strategic model contributes to the cybersecurity governance literature by integrating ANT perspectives with empirical insights from a developing country. It offers a locally adapted and scalable framework to guide policymakers and smart city administrators in building resilient and culturally sensitive cybersecurity systems.
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- A. M. Toli and N. Murtagh, “The Concept of Sustainability in Smart City Definitions,” Front. Built Environ., vol. 6, no. June, pp. 1–10, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2020.00077
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References
A. M. Toli and N. Murtagh, “The Concept of Sustainability in Smart City Definitions,” Front. Built Environ., vol. 6, no. June, pp. 1–10, 2020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2020.00077
M. Kalinin, V. Krundyshev, and P. Zegzhda, “Cybersecurity risk assessment in smart city infrastructures.,” Machines, vol. 9., no. 4, p. 78, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9040078
M. D. S. Hadi, P. Widodo, and R. W. Putro, “Analysis of the Impact of the Covid 19 Pandemic in Indonesia from a Cybersecurity Point of View,” Natly. J., vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1–9, 2020.
R. G. G. Alam and H. Ibrahim, “Cybersecurity Strategy for Smart City Implementation,” in International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences - ISPRS Archives, 2019. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-4-W17-3-2019
L. Axon et al., “Emerging cybersecurity capability gaps in the industrial internet of things: Overview and research agenda.,” Digit. Threat. Res. Pract., vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 1–27, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1145/3503920
M. R. Syailendra, G. Lie, and A. Sudiro, “Personal Data Protection Law in Indonesia: Challenges and Opportunities,” . Indon. L. Rev., vol. 14, p. 175, 2024. https://doi.org/10.15742/ilrev.v14n2.1
R. G. Alam, H. Ibrahim, and I. R. Karas, “Key Issues in Cybersecurity Implementation in Government Agencies: A Case Study in Jakarta Smart City,” in In International Conference on Computing and Informatics, Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore., 2024, pp. 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9589-9_1
R. G. Guntur Alam and H. Ibrahim, “Cybersecurity implementation succes factors in smart city,” J. Theor. Appl. Inf. Technol., vol. 99, no. 13, pp. 3353–3364, 2021.
A. R. Arief, “An analysis of cybersecurity policies and practices in public administration.,” J. public Represent. Soc. Provis., vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 88–100, 2022. https://doi.org/10.55885/jprsp.v2i2.211
A. Salihu and R. Dervishi, “Evaluating the Impact of Risk Management Frameworks on IT Audits: A Comparative Analysis of COSO, COBIT, ISO/IEC 27001, and NIST CSF.,” in In 2024 International Conference on Electrical, Communication and Computer Engineering (ICECCE), IEEE, 2024, pp. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICECCE63537.2024.10823548
T. Ryan, N. Ryan, and B. Hynes, “The integration of human and non-human actors to advance healthcare delivery: unpacking the role of actor-network theory, a systematic literature review,” BMC Health Serv. Res., vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1–33, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11866-4
E. Ismagilova, L. Hughes, N. P. Rana, and Y. K. Dwivedi, “Security, privacy and risks within smart cities: Literature review and development of a smart city interaction framework.,” Inf. Syst. Front., vol. 1, no. 22, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-020-10044-1
R. G. Alam, D. Abdullah, H. Ibrahim, and I. R. Karas, “Building a Resilient Smart City Ecosystem: A Comprehensive Security and Cybersecurity Management Model.,” in In The Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart City Applications, Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland., 2023, pp. 596–607. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53824-7_53
M. Tight, Designing case studies. The sage handbook for qualitative research design, 6th edn. SAGE Publications Ltd, Thousand Oaks, 2022.
M. Striepe, “Combining concept mapping with semi-structured interviews: adding another dimension to the research process.,” Int. J. Res. Method Educ., vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 519–532, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2020.1841746
Y. S. Chen and S. T. Wu, “An exploration of actor-network theory and social affordance for the development of a tourist attraction: A case study of a Jimmy-related theme park, Taiwan.,” Tour. Manag., vol. 82, p. 104206, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104206
R. Cury, M. Kennelly, and M. Howes, “Enacting environmental commitments and initiatives in Australian Olympic sport: an actor-network theory perspective.,” Manag. Sport Leis., no. 1–18, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2023.2299823
M. A. Sarlak, Y. Salamzadeh, and F. S. Farzad, “Actor-network theory and networked organizations, proposing a conceptual framework.,” Contemp. Appl. Actor Netw. Theory, pp. 197–210, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7066-7_11
K. Park, S. Park, and T. J. Lee, “Analysis of a spatial network from the perspective of actor‐network theory.,” Int. J. Tour. Res., vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 653–665, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2363
M. Bolz, S. Mallon, and M. S. Estrada, Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a Methodology for Researching Academic Knowledge Circulation. In Routledge Handbook of Academic Knowledge Circulation, 2023.
I. R. Ticau, M. C. Dan, S. Hadad, and P. Nistoreanu, “Sustainable development in peri-urban regions: A triangulation analysis,” Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 20, p. 14837, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014837
M. Aslam et al., “Getting Smarter about Smart Cities: Improving Data Security and Privacy through Compliance,” Sensors, vol. 22, no. 23, p. 9338, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22239338
K. Khoirunnisa and D. Jubaidi, “Indonesia’s Digital Security Strategy: Countering the Threats of Cybercrime and Cyberterrorism.,” Polit. J. Public Adm. Polit. Sci. Int. Relations, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 62–82, 2024. https://doi.org/10.61978/politeia.v2i2.211
J. S. Gracias, G. S. Parnell, E. Specking, E. A. Pohl, and R. Buchanan, “Smart cities—a structured literature review.,” Smart Cities, vol. 6, no. 4, pp. 1719–1743, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6040080
M. Sawir, Birokrasi Pelayanan Publik Konsep, Teori, Dan Aplikasi. Deepublish, 2020.
M. A. A. Pangestu and M. Christin, “Analisis Strategi Komunikasi Program Indonesia Makin Cakap Digital Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika dalam Meningkatkan Literasi Digital,” JIIP-Jurnal Ilm. Ilmu Pendidik., vol. 5, no. 9, pp. 3272–3280, 2022.
D. Kim and S. Kim, “Role and challenge of technology toward a smart sustainable city: Topic modeling, classification, and time series analysis using information and communication technology patent data,” Sustain. Cities Soc., vol. 82, p. 103888, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.103888