Cyber Warfare and the Law: Emerging Challenges of Digital Militaries in Indonesia

The development of information technology has transformed the character of armed conflict from conventional models to the cyber domain, which is non-linear, border-less, and difficult to attribute. Cyber warfare is no longer merely a hypothetical threat but has become a strategic instrument in global geopolitical rivalry. In the context of Indonesia, the digitalization of government systems, critical infrastructure, and the defense sector increases vulnerability to cyberattacks that could disrupt national sovereignty and stability. This article aims to analyze cyber warfare from the per-spectives of international law and Indonesian national law, as well as to identify normative and institutional challenges in the development of a digital military. The study employs a juridical-normative method with legislative, conceptual, and com-parative approaches. The findings indicate that, although the principles of Interna-tional Humanitarian Law (IHL) remain relevant, ambiguities exist in their application to cyber operations—particularly regarding attack attribution, thresholds of armed attacks, and the exercise of the right to self-defense. At the national level, Indone-sian regulations remain sectoral and do not explicitly regulate cyberwar doctrine as part of the national defense system. Therefore, harmonization of regulations, formu-lation of a national cyber military doctrine, and strengthened inter-agency coordina-tion are required to ensure Indonesia’s readiness to address the dynamics of digital conflict in the modern era