A network of digital advocates urged the government to hold accountable the heads of the agencies affected by the hacking of government sites and emails.
Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald Gustilo said that the heads of agencies affected by the hacking on government email and websites should be dealt with swiftly as the attacks came a few months after a massive data breach from Philhealth and the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“With the previous incidents of breaches on government sites, the state should have prepared better. It is utterly disappointing and concerning that it seems that these agencies have not learned their lesson. This new incident is unacceptable”
The Department of Information and Communications technology (DICT) announced last Saturday that hackers believed to be operating from China have breached into government emails and internal websites. The hackers targeted sites and emails with gov.ph domains. Among the email domains targeted were from the DICT (dict.gov.ph), Office of the Cabinet Secretary (cabs.gov.ph) and the Philippine Coast Guard (coastguard.gov.ph).
Gustilo also said that with the ongoing tension between Manila and Beijing over the disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine government should also look into the possibility that the recent cyber attack against government domains is sponsored by the Chinese government.
“The government should check if the attack is a state-backed attack because if it is, it should warrant at least a diplomatic protest. The government should not leave no stone unturned on this matter as the timing of this attack and the tension in the West Philippine Sea makes it hard to believe that this is all coincidental.”
Gustilo added that this incident highlights the need to invest in state-of-the-art cybersecurity technology and providing comprehensive training for government personnel.
“The safety and security of our nation’s digital infrastructure are of paramount importance, and we cannot afford to ignore the serious implications of this breach. We urge the government to take immediate action to hold accountable those who are involved and those who failed to prevent this from happening. Furthermore, this is a wake up call that we need to strengthen our cybersecurity defenses to prevent future attacks.”
