Gov’t asked to ‘fortify’ PH online defenses, boost cybersecurity outlay

MANILA, Philippines — The government was pressed to urgently make the country’s cyber defenses strong and protected by increasing investments in cybersecurity. International think-tank Stratbase Institute said Friday that achieving a fortified cyber defense must be a government priority because cyber criminals who prey on “easy targets” have become “cunning and sophisticated.” The group’s call came after government systems and web pages suffered a series of virtual assaults by hackers in the last few weeks. READ: PhilHealth estimates data breach affected 13 to 20 million members “It’s clear that fortifying our cyber defenses should be a priority, particularly for critical infrastructure across both public and private sectors. This proactive approach to cybersecurity is a necessary step in safeguarding against the ever-evolving threat of cybercrime,” Stratbase CEO and founder Dindo Manhit said in a statement. According to Manhit, solid cybersecurity is an essential investment as it builds trust among stakeholders and ensures uninterrupted operations and services and safeguarded data. He suggested that the government engage with the private sector telcos and cybersecurity providers in developing a comprehensive and strategic approach to cybersecurity investments. READ: ‘Spike in attacks’ on Senate website bared Statbase Institute said that although an International Trade Administration survey in 2020 reported that 43% of private companies in the Philippines increased their investments in cybersecurity, a lot more still needs to be done. It also cited Cisco’s Cybersecurity Readiness Index released in March, which revealed that only 27% of organizations in the Philippines have a mature level of readiness to face modern cybersecurity risks. The group then mentioned the cyberattacks on the websites of government agencies. Hackers recently invaded the systems and web pages of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Department of Science and Technology. PhilHealth admitted that it failed to renew its virus protection software. Its system was breached by clandestine group Medusa, affecting the data of millions of its members. On October 15, hackers calling themselves “3MUSKETEERZ” defaced the website of the House of Representatives. “Our government’s capacity to ward off such attacks is being tested, and we seem to be failing that test,” Manhit said. READ: Attempts to hack Senate website traced to PH, Germany, and US Manhit pointed out that every agency and organization must have chief information security officers who will maintain the most robust and appropriate protection of internet systems and pages against hackers. He said chief Read more at: inquirer

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