NBI probing hacking of government websites

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started investigating the defacing of government agencies’ websites by hackers.

The Anti-Computer Crimes Division (ACCD) of the NBI is verifying information that one of the source countries of the hackers is Indonesia.

Head agent Palmer Mallari, NBI-ACCD chief, said hackers had defaced websites of government agencies such as the Department of Health, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Disaster Coordinating Council, and Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“Defacing the website is one form of hacking. We are not ruling out the possibility that those behind the defacing of government agencies’ websites are the same individual or the same group,” said Mallari.

He said the NBI would use all legal means provided by the E-Commerce Law or Republic Act 8792 to go after the hackers.

He added that the NBI is now identifying the hackers and coordinating with concerned agencies to know the web-hosting companies or who made their respective websites.

They will also try to find out the Internet Protocol address used by the hackers, NBI officials said.

Mallari said they would also coordinate with the telecommunications sector.

After gathering evidence, the NBI will apply for a search warrant.

Mallari said defacing government agencies’ websites is very alarming.

“This may give a signal that there is something wrong with the system and hackers can easily access it when it should only be the authorized persons who should have access to it,” he said.

He said there are “white hat hackers” resorting to these kinds of activities to challenge the government and law enforcement agencies about their capabilities.

“We will be holding an automated election in May. So maybe these hackers want to prove something. But I am not saying that this is political. All angles will be looked into, like the commercial, economic and even political aspects. There are many possibilities in this kind of hacking,” he said.         

Mallari said they have to deal with the challenges to go after the hackers.

“We only have the E-Commerce Law and RA 8792 and there is limitation to that. Then there is a problem in structure. But we have to maximize our efforts to go after them.”

In 2004, he said, there was a member of a staff of an agency from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group who hacked the website. He was later convicted, Mallari said. - Sandy Araneta