By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz | Philippine News Agency
The alleged hacking of the eGovPH mobile app is fake and a scam targeting deep web forum users.
In a statement Tuesday, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Executive Director Alexander Ramos said a post claiming to have gathered sensitive data from users of the eGovPH mobile app was nothing more than a “fake hacking claim.”
“The Breach Forums user named GR3GGM3RC3R we are investigating who claimed to hack the eGovPH app is a scammer and not a real hacker. He’s attempting to defraud forum members by falsely claiming possession of sensitive data,” Ramos said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Tuesday that Undersecretary for E-Government and eGovPH app development head David Almirol assured the public that the app is protected with multiple security measures and remains safe.
“Aside from the encryption and eGovChain security of the eGovPH app, we also have an attached key for each data, which is an additional security measure,” Almirol said.
He added anyone who claims to have hacked the system but cannot provide an attached key for each piece of data is a fraud.
Breach Forums is a dark web platform known for being a hub for cybercriminals and hackers where they trade stolen data and illicit digital goods.
On Nov. 12, Filipino cybersecurity enthusiast group Deep Web Konek, through its blog Kukublan Philippines, reported a potential data breach in the eGovPH mobile app that may have resulted in the data leak of around 200,000 users.