Speaker Romualdez calls DICT briefing on Chinese-linked cyberattacks

Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez has called for an immediate congressional briefing from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on recent cyberattacks on several Philippine government websites, suspected to originate from Chinese hackers.

Romualdez emphasized that these attacks are a matter of national security and public interest, targeting critical domains such as the Philippine Coast Guard and President Marcos Jr.'s private website.

Cybersecurity experts have foiled attempts by alleged China-based cybercriminals who targeted various government email addresses and internal websites, including those of the Cabinet Secretary, Department of Justice, and National Coast Watch System.

The House is planning to bring in third-party cybersecurity experts amid hacking attempts on its data, while the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that it has not been hacked but remains vigilant.

DICT officials are set to brief lawmakers about the nature and extent of these attacks, measures in place to prevent them, and strategies to enhance the country's cyber-security infrastructure.

The Philippines currently only has 200 legitimate cybersecurity analysts, highlighting a critical need for more specialists to bolster national cybersecurity efforts.