Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) acting secretary Emmanuel Rey R. Caintic ordered on Wednesday, Jan. 12, its Cybersecurity Bureau to conduct its own investigation on the purported hacking of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as claimed by a report of the Manila Bulletin.
The unsubstantiated report said hackers allegedly gained access to Comelec servers and allegedly stole crucial files including usernames and personal identification numbers of vote-counting machines (VCMs). The story reported that 60 gigabytes of data was illegally acquired from the servers.
“While the report has been denied by the Comelec through spokesperson James Jimenez, it is in the interest of the citizenry and of the country to feel secure in the electoral process,” said Caintic.
“This is why I have tasked the DICT’s Cybersecurity Bureau to immediately and independently investigate these allegations. If indeed information has been stolen, there is still time to make the necessary changes and precautions to ensure a fair, honest, and efficient elections.”
Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon has also branded the purported breach as “fake news” and admonished the newspaper to check their information.
FAKE NEWS : @COMELEC server was hacked, not true. Manila Bulletin editor must verify.
— Rowena Guanzon (@rowena_guanzon) January 12, 2022
DICT Cybersecurity Bureau director Jose Carlos P. Reyes asserted that the team is already in close coordination with the poll body regarding the issue.
“The National Computer Emergency Response Team of the Cybersecurity Bureau has been coordinating and assisting the Comelec Information Technology Department Director Jeannie V. Flororita on this matter,” Reyes said.
“The upcoming elections has highlighted the need to tighten measures in protecting the information gathered from our stakeholders and preventing its use outside the intended purpose. Rest assured, the DICT Cybersecurity Bureau will support the Comelec to ensure that the integrity of the elections is not compromised by any attempt of data breach,” DICT assistant secretary for cybersecurity Kristoffer L. Tiansay said.
Also on Wednesday, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) issued orders for the appearance of the concerned parties — Comelec, Manila Bulletin, and Art Samaniego, Jr. (technology editor and IT head of the Manila Bulletin) — in a clarificatory meeting on January 25, 2022.
The Comelec, for its part, stated on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 that it would release its findings on the alleged hacking before the end of the week.
