Congressman urges gov’t to upgrade cybersecurity systems

THE GOVERNMENT should urgently address cybersecurity inadequacies in the network systems of various agencies to thwart any more data breaches in the future, a congressman said on Monday.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. France L. Castro urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to strengthen the government’s data systems to prevent further attacks that could compromise the personal details and other data of the public.

The lawmaker issued the statement after Sunday’s cyberattack that breached the Bureau of Customs (BoC) servers.

The data breach affected the “help desk ticketing systems and data analytics and reporting modules” of BoC, DICT Infostructure Management, Cybersecurity and Upskilling Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian C. Dy told BusinessWorld in a phone call.

“The perpetrators successfully infiltrated the Bureau of Customs’ computer systems, compromising sensitive data repositories and exposing the personal details of over 2,200 employees and approximately 80,000 customers, both private and public,” Ms. Castro had said earlier.

The cyberattack on the BoC happened just days after the Department of Science and Technology’s network systems were infiltrated by hackers, compromising about two terabytes of data.

Ms. Castro said the government must “prioritize cybersecurity measures” and improvements to “ensure the protection of citizens’ data against cyber threats.”

Commenting on the issue, National Campaigner of digital advocacy group Digital Pinoys Ronald B. Gustilo said the recent cyberattacks expose the government’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

He added that the government’s protective measures are not enough to stop hackers from attacking state agencies.

“The recent attacks only prove that the government’s capability to protect the public from cyberattacks is not enough,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. “These incidents are a glaring reminder that the government needs to allocate more funds to acquire or develop the latest tools to boost our cybersecurity infrastructure.”

Mr. Gustilo said the personal information of individuals can be used by impostors in transacting with financial institutions and in committing crimes.

Ms. Castro said the DICT should implement cybersecurity guidelines to prevent hacking incidents in the future. “It is crucial to invest in secure systems to safeguard sensitive information and protect the privacy of Filipino citizens,” she said.

ELECTION CONCERNSThe lawmaker also called on the government to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities to prevent potential manipulation of the automated polls set next year.

“The Marcos administration… must act swiftly to address these cybersecurity threats,” she said.

The lawmaker said that the vulnerabilities could erode the integrity of the elections as well as cast doubt on the validity of the electrical process if left unaddressed.

“It is imperative that measures are put in place to protect our systems from cyberattacks, ensuring the integrity of our electoral process and safeguarding our votes,” Ms. Castro added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio