Technical Analysis of Government Website Takeovers by Online Gambling Sites in Indonesia

This research explores a pressing intersection between cybersecurity and public governance: the systematic hijacking of Indonesian government websites (.go.id domains) by online gambling actors. At the heart of the problem lie well-known yet persistently unaddressed vulnerabilities—SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), outdated content management systems, and weak input validation—all of which enable attackers to deface official pages, implant backdoors, and redirect citizens to illicit platforms. This study proposes a twofold solution: technical hardening through automated vulnerability scans and patch management, and regulatory strengthening via targeted reform of Indonesia’s cyber law framework, particularly the Undang-Undang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik (UU ITE). Methodologically, the paper employs a triadic framework—combining real-world case study analysis, legal evaluation, and scholarly synthesis—to interrogate both the technological vectors of attack and the regulatory inertia that follows. Case examples, such as the 2022 defacement of the Jawa Timur website and the 2023 SQL breach of a ministry portal, illustrate both the ease of compromise and the inadequacy of state responses. The literature supports these findings: Albalawi et al. (2022) emphasise the technical detectability of defacement, while Djarawula et al. (2023) and Setiawati et al. (2022) point to legislative gaps that online criminals exploit with relative impunity. The study’s contribution lies in articulating an integrated model for national cyber resilience, bridging technical diagnostics with legal strategy. It concludes with a set of practical recommendations—ranging from near-term vulnerability audits and IT training to long-term legal reform and international collaboration—intended not only to protect Indonesia’s digital assets but also to offer a case study of wider relevance for states confronting similar threats in the evolving cyber landscape.