The name of the organization is a result of a senior Indonesian police official mishearing "ATA" in a briefing on the Diplomatic Security Service's Antiterrorism Assistance Program as "88".
The name of the organization is a result of an incident where a high-ranking Indonesian police officer incorrectly identified "ATA" in a meeting about the Diplomatic Security Service's Antiterrorism Assistance Program as "88", leading to its unusual designation.