Rampant Hacking in Gov’t Websites in PH Calls for Tight Cybersecurity
Amid the rampant hacking of the websites owned by the government, may the call for a tight cybersecurity be addressed with leaving accountability behind.
Recently, several websites and portals of the different government agencies and bodies in the Philippines fell victims to hacking. Among these are the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Aside from PhilHealth, DOST, and PSA, the website of the House of Representatives was also recently hacked. According to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, the cyberattack did not affect the personal data of the lawmakers as well as those of the staff. The move vandalized the page.
Undeniably, the recent hacking events involving the websites and online portals of the different state bodies and agencies call for a tight cybersecurity in the Philippines. Amid the incidents, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) which was given zero confidential funds by a house panel calls for the reinstatement of its CIFs.
The CIFs was designed to support the activities and projects that are in line with the national security and peace and order. The house panel that is in-charge for individual amendments of the proposed 2024 national budget gave five state offices and agencies zero CIFs:
- Office of the Vice President (OVP)
- Department of Education (DepEd)
- Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT)
- Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)
- Department of Agriculture (DA)
I believe that the recent incidents are calling for a tight cybersecurity in the Philippines. However, it is my humble hope that the solution that will be provided, like, if ever, the granting of the CIFs, will be done with an assurance of accountability from those who will be granted with the fund.
After all, the CIF is a money of the state. It will be best for the government to find ways to ensure the people that the Filipinos will not anymore be left starving for answers again on how a multi-million CIF was used just like the recent controversy involving the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
Disclaimer: The content of the article posted above is an opinion of the writer. Also, the citations provided are based on the information deemed as facts by the different legit sources that contribute to the basis of the making of the whole viewpoint. The writer does not, in any form, intend to create inaccurate understanding of the topic or influence the readers instead, express one’s viewpoint in a formal manner.