Several government websites defaced

MANILA, Philippines — Six government agency websites – those of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Education (DepEd), Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Treasury – suffered hack attacks yesterday, amid nationwide protest actions against massive corruption in government, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Rojun Hosillos, DICT Cyber Security Bureau director, said that the attacks were mainly defacements of the agencies’ websites, but all were able to regain control of their web assets in a short while.

Aside from the national government agencies, there were also breaches on the websites of local government units of Tarlac City, and several municipalities in Laguna such as Santa Maria, Lumba, Liliw, Cavinti, Rizal, Nagcarlan, Pagsanjan, Pila, Santa Cruz and Luisiana.

DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda downplayed the attacks as limited in scope.