By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
Malacañang on Thursday said the government is prepared to respond to cyberattacks targeting government agencies, following reports of personal data breaches and hacking incidents.
In a Palace press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is aware of the reported incidents and the cybersecurity concerns involving government offices.
“Oo, alam ng Pangulo ang mga nangyayaring kaganapan, lalong-lalo na sa mga nangyayari sa ahensiya,” Usec. Castro said.
She also assured the public of the government’s readiness to counter attempts to hack government websites, citing previous incidents that had been addressed promptly, “May pagkakataon na noon pa man may mga ahensiyang naha-hack, pero agad itong natutugunan.”
The Malacañang official added, “Handa po ang gobyernong tumugon sa mga cyberattack na ito na ginagawa, pagha-hack ng mga website, handa po ang gobyerno.”
The National Privacy Commission confirmed that as of Nov. 10, at least 10 government agencies have filed personal data breach notifications following recent cybersecurity incidents and underground forum claims.
These include the Presidential Commission on Good Government; Department of Information and Communications Technology; Department of Labor and Employment; Bureau of Internal Revenue; Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation; Department of Justice; Securities and Exchange Commission; Philippine Coast Guard; Department of Trade and Industry; and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
