Hold agency heads accountable for gov website hacking

A network of digital advocates urged the government to hold accountable the heads of the agencies affected by the hacking of government sites and emails.

Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald Gustilo said that the heads of agencies affected by the hacking on government email and websites should be dealt with swiftly as the attacks came a few months after a massive data breach from PhilHealth and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The Department of Information and Communications technology (DICT) announced last Saturday that hackers believed to be operating from China have breached into government emails and internal websites. The hackers targeted sites and emails with gov.ph domains. Among the email domains targeted were from the DICT (dict.gov.ph), Office of the Cabinet Secretary (cabs.gov.ph) and the Philippine Coast Guard (coastguard.gov.ph).

Gustilo also said that with the ongoing tension between Manila and Beijing over the disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine government should also look into the possibility that the recent cyber attack against government domains is sponsored by the Chinese government.

Gustilo added that this incident highlights the need to invest in state-of-the-art cybersecurity technology and providing comprehensive training for government personnel.