On October 8, Sunday, an actor on Facebook posted download links to data files belonging to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and potentially the Department of Science and Technology's (DOST) OneExpert system, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic group.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) confirmed on Wednesday, Oct. 11, that its IT system was hacked but claimed the breach was only limited to its Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) based on its initial assessment.
Bohol representative Alexie B. Tutor, a member of the House Committee on Information & Communications Technology, has pointed out the lack of certified experts and underinvestment in cybersecurity as among the factors that contributed to complacency and the false sense of security in cybercrimes.
The National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP) and the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PH-CERT) said regulators should already anticipate the worst-case scenario as it is better to warn Filipino consumers as soon as possible as the threat actors can already exploit the illegally accessed personal information.
The bill seeks to establish a “Digital Prison Records System” designed to store, manage and share information related to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), their cases, relevant court orders, and other related matters.
According to security researchers, as of 3:20pm Manila time, the Medusa Ransomware group may have already published the PhilHealth data files obtained from the ransomware cyberattack which occurred on Sept. 22, 2023.
The DICT said it will lead the development of the North Luzon Data Center, which will be an integral part of the agency’s National Government Data Center Project.
The House of Representatives has unanimously approved on third and final reading a bill that would institutionalize a mechanism to refund customers in case of outages and disruptions with their Internet or telecommunications services.
