The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) assured the public that no vital or sensitive military information was compromised despite reports of Chinese hackers allegedly accessing and stealing military data from the Office of the President (OP).
"We can categorically state there’s no evidence that there was any hacking activities that transpired at wala rin ebidensya na mayroong nakuha silang any vital sensitive military information as of date," DICT Spokesperson Asec. Renato Paraiso said in an exclusive interview with DZRH's Damdamin Bayan on Wednesday.
Paraiso disclosed that as of January 2024, the agency had observed "persistent and consistent" hacking attempts targeting government systems, including the OP.
He further revealed that midway through last year, the DICT identified threat actors originating from China's jurisdiction. However, the agency clarified that it does not claim these hackers are state-sponsored.
"Nagbigay-alam na rin tayo sa pamahalaan ng Tsina at sila naman dineny kaya sinabihan natin sila at pinakiusapan na tulungan tayo na i-identify at i-apprehend ang mga threat actors na ito," said Paraiso.
The Chinese government has reportedly offered assistance to the Philippines in identifying and apprehending the said threat actors.
"Kasi kung matatandaan niyo, I think it was June or August of last year, na-identify natin na nanggagaling ‘yung mga IP addresses nung mga threat actors na ‘to doon sa ibang mga government facilities ng China," he added.
Paraiso clarified that while the hackers’ locations in China are scattered, one specific incident traced their source to a government TV network in China. The group behind the hacking was identified based on their modus operandi.
In response to the growing threats, Paraiso emphasized the need to amend existing laws to give DICT a greater role in procuring government systems related to ICT and cybersecurity, as proposed in the Cybersecurity Act.
"Kasi naman para masiguro natin na up to global standards ang pino-procure nila. Baka kasi ‘yung iba hindi up to standards kaya nape-penetrate at napapasok ng mga threat actors natin," said Paraiso.
"Sa amin naman as a department, we are starting to procure the first layer ng defense natin – a system that would serve as the first layer of defense po natin pagdating dito sa mga threat actors na ‘to," he added.
He added that the DICT has begun procuring a system to serve as the country's first layer of defense against cyber threats. "Sa amin naman as a department, we are starting to procure the first layer ng defense natin – a system that would serve as the first layer of defense po natin pagdating dito sa mga threat actors na ‘to," Paraiso said.
This first layer of defense is a type of firewall designed to protect the Philippines' government systems.
Paraiso admitted, however, that the government is facing a shortage of IT professionals and cybersecurity experts. Within the DICT, the attrition rate is high, with employees leaving due to better compensation opportunities in private companies or abroad.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Chinese state-sponsored hackers reportedly gained access to the executive branch of the Philippine government, stealing sensitive information as part of a long-running campaign.
