World War IV: A New War Has Begun, It’s Being Fought in Silence

TIMESINDONESIA, JAKARTA – The face of war has changed. We are no longer living in an era where victory is measured by territory gained or weapons deployed. The battles of our time are waged in silence, in lines of code.

Of course, in artificial intelligence systems, and in the depths of networks invisible to the eye. Welcome to the dawn of World War IV.

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As cyber tensions escalate between world powers, from the United States to China, from Russia to India, the world is being quietly redrawn—not by tanks, but by Trojan horses and zero-day exploits. While traditional wars capture headlines, the most dangerous front line today is digital.

For Indonesia, this is not a distant threat. It is an urgent wake-up call.

The Silent Battlefield, How Cyberwar Became the New Global Front

Over the past decade, signs of this new war have become impossible to ignore. Economic disputes have turned into trade wars. Political conflict has shifted into digital propaganda. And behind the scenes, a fierce cyber arms race is unfolding.

Global intelligence agencies are now equipped not just with human operatives, but with machines that think, learn, and act faster than any adversary. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are being deployed by state actors to scan billions of data points, detect intrusions, and automate countermeasures. 

The U.S. has dedicated entire agencies to secure AI development, while China has fused military, intelligence, and industry into a single cyber apparatus.

Behind the curtain, zero-day vulnerabilities—flaws in software that even developers don’t yet know exist—are being weaponized. These exploits allow hackers to infiltrate systems undetected, and stay hidden for weeks or even months. The development and sale of such capabilities have created a billion-dollar global marketplace of surveillance and sabotage tools.

Nations like Israel, Russia, and the United Kingdom are at the forefront, investing heavily in offensive and defensive operations. Their cyber strategies are not only well-funded, but deeply integrated into national security policy. Indonesia, by contrast, remains on the fringes—underfunded, fragmented, and highly vulnerable.

Yet, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Indonesia at the Crossroads: Weakness, Potential, and the Path Forward

Indonesia’s cyber capabilities today are largely coordinated by the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN). Though legally tasked with cyber defense, intelligence gathering, and cryptographic protection of state assets, BSSN faces a stark reality: its budget and resources pale in comparison to the superpowers.

While other nations spend in the billions, Indonesia’s investment in cybersecurity remains modest. This gap leaves our digital infrastructure—government databases, financial systems, and communication networks—exposed. In a worst-case scenario, a sophisticated cyberattack could paralyze critical sectors in a matter of hours.

But budget alone does not dictate destiny.

Indonesia possesses a growing community of engineers, ethical hackers, and tech entrepreneurs capable of creating world-class solutions. What we lack is a unified strategy that integrates private-sector innovation with national objectives.

For instance, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) platforms that scan social media, news channels, and online conversations for security insights are in high demand. These tools can provide valuable real-time data for intelligence gathering, political analysis, and crisis response. 

The global OSINT market is booming, driven by the explosion of publicly available data. Indonesia can create its own OSINT systems, both for domestic use and export.

Equally important are Zero-Click Exploit tools—the silent assassins of the cyber world. These allow attackers to hijack phones, servers, and devices without the target doing anything at all. Such capabilities are often reserved for high-value espionage targets. 

If Indonesia can cultivate its talent pool to develop tools of this class—ethically governed and state-regulated—we can protect ourselves and enter a highly valuable niche industry.

Another key opportunity lies in building local vulnerability scanners. Tools like Nessus, Qualys, and Rapid7 dominate global markets by identifying weak points before hackers do. By creating Indonesian-made scanning software, we reduce dependence on foreign vendors and enhance national cyber autonomy.

But achieving all this will require a political decision: to treat cyber sovereignty as a matter of national survival.

Building Indonesia’s Cyber Defense Industry

The global cybersecurity market is growing at unprecedented speed. It encompasses not only tools and technologies but also education, training, and ethical governance. Every nation that aims to be a serious player in the digital future is investing in this domain—not just to defend, but to lead.

Indonesia can do the same.

First, we need a clear national mandate. Cybersecurity must become a core component of national policy, directed by the highest office. Just as China’s cyber expansion was driven by top-down integration, Indonesia needs a unified national cyber strategy, led directly by the President.

Second, we must build public-private partnerships. Indonesian tech firms, startups, and universities should work alongside government agencies. Funding, training, and certification systems can be developed to support this ecosystem. Cyber intelligence should no longer be treated as an isolated discipline, but as part of a broader industrial and educational agenda.

Third, we must aim not only for defense, but for export. With proper frameworks, Indonesia could provide tools and services to developing nations that currently lack affordable cybersecurity solutions. This is how we move from being digital consumers to global producers.

Finally, it’s time to see cybersecurity not as a luxury, but as a foundation. A nation that cannot defend its digital borders cannot claim true sovereignty. The threats are growing more sophisticated each day. But so too are the opportunities—for innovation, for independence, and for leadership.

A War Without Sirens

The most dangerous wars are not always those that roar, but those that whisper. In World War IV, there will be no marching soldiers or televised invasions. Only the silent takeover of data, the quiet disruption of networks, and the invisible erasure of sovereignty.

Indonesia cannot afford to sleep through this.

We must build the tools. Train the people. Lead the way.

Because in this new kind of war, survival belongs not to the strongest—but to the most prepared. (*)

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By: Ahmad Faizun, Cybersecurity Expert & Head of IT, Said Aqil Siroj Center.

**) Ikuti berita terbaru TIMES Indonesia di Google News klik link ini dan jangan lupa di follow.