The recent surge in cyberattacks and data breaches affecting government systems prompted a legislator to urge the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to implement more robust measures to protect the country’s digital infrastructure.
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, appealed to the DICT to conduct a comprehensive review of their existing programs and policies and aim to identify and address the vulnerabilities that cybercriminals exploit.
In a statement, Tiangco said, “The DICT should adopt a proactive approach similar to how doctors address health concerns– prevention is key. While we appreciate the efforts of the agency, such as its National Computer Emergency Response Team and its National Cybercrime Hub, these must be complemented by preventive measures against cybercrimes.”
On Tuesday, the Department of Migrant Workers suspended its online services following a ransomware attack, disrupting critical services needed by our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Additionally, a report by Surfshark, a Norway-based virtual private network provider, ranked the Philippines 29th out of 250 countries and territories in terms of data breaches in the second quarter of 2024. Although the decrease in incidents is a positive sign—from 7.7 million cases in the first quarter this year to over 385,000 in the second quarter—the high global ranking remains alarming.
He urged the DICT to develop a comprehensive plan to bolster the protection of digital systems, particularly those providing essential services to Filipinos.
