Press Release
September 21, 2022

Tulfo sounds alarm over clear & present danger on nat'l security due to cyberattacks

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo has expressed alarm over the clear and present danger on Philippine national security due to the country's lack of cybersecurity infrastructure and technology to counter present and future cyberthreats.

During the Finance Subcommittee Hearing on the proposed 2023 budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and its attached agencies Tuesday, Sept. 20, Tulfo stressed that the Philippines is vulnerable to cyberattacks from foreign countries perceiving it as enemies.

"I fear for my country, I fear for our people, I fear for my family, na baka isang umaga ay magigising tayo na iba na ang takbo ng Pilipinas. It is possible for foreign hackers to launch widespread cyberattacks to countries they perceived as enemies to create chaos," he said.

The Senator from Isabela made the statement after representatives from the DICT and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) confirmed that the Philippines has weak defenses against cyberthreats and attacks.

First off, Tulfo cautioned DICT and CICC against the so-called "watering hole" technique, which is used by hackers to infect virus to computers that suppliers distribute to an intended target. Hackers would normally wait for the infected computers to be installed and call home before launching attacks.

He also warned them against a virus called "zombies," which previously infested more than 730,000 American computers and turned them into slave computers that were used in cyberattacks.

Another cause of cybersecurity concern, Tulfo noted, is the group of hackers called Hidden Lynx, which has been linked to high-profile cyber attacks around the world. It has attacked tech companies such as Google, financial service providers, defense contractors, and government agencies.

Considering all these, Tulfo stressed the need for the government to be extra cautious in procuring computers and other technological needs from foreign countries, saying it must not purchase from countries perceiving Philippines as an enemy.

"Marami po ang maaapektuhan kapag nag-launch ang ibang bansa ng cyberattack against us. Kaya ng hackers sirain ang operations ng ating power grid, public utilities, government offices, and even military installations. Kaya dapat magiingat po tayo when it comes to procurement of computer systems," he said.

Tulfo added that cyberattacks can affect railway trains, communications, and banking and financial institutions.

He warned that foreign hackers can also interfere in election process, just like what happened in the 2016 US election where there was widespread false and malicious information dissemination. Tulfo further expressed alarm on the installation of cell towers partially owned by a foreign entity within the country's military camps, as it poses serious national security threats.

Although DICT agreed that it may be a national security issue, they said that they were excluded on the committee that approved the installation of said cell towers.

Sen. Idol sounded the alarm considering that cyberattacks already happened in other more technologically advanced countries, citing the attack against Ukraine's electric grid in 2015 and the cyberattack against British national health centers in 2017.

He also pointed out that foreign hackers launched cyberattacks on Aramco, a giant oil campony in Saudi, in 2021.

If it happened in these countries, the Senator said it can also easily happen in the Philippines. Amid the country's weak defenses, Tulfo said he hopes that the Congress would consider increasing the 2023 budget of the DICT and its attached agencies.

"Dapat talagang taasan ang budget ninyo para maprotektahan ninyo ang ating cyberspace against cyberattacks. Para ito sa kapakanan ng sambayanang Pilipino at para maprotektahan ang ating national security," he said.

Aside from strengthening defenses against cyber threats, Tulfo believes that the country needs to invest on Filipino "gifted IT experts" who are well-versed on anti-hacking practices.


Tulfo, nabahala sa seguridad ng bansa dahil sa banta ng foreign hackers

Nagbabala si Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo sa kasalukuyang panganib sa pambansang seguridad ng Pilipinas dahil sa kakulangan ng imprastraktura at teknolohiya ng bansa upang labanan ang hackers at cyberattacks.

Sa pagdinig ng Finance Subcommittee sa panukalang 2023 budget ng Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) at mga kalakip nitong ahensya noong Martes, Setyembre 20, idiniin ni Tulfo na mahina ang depensa ng Pilipinas laban sa cyberattacks mula sa mga dayuhang bansa na itinuturing tayong mga kaaway.

"I fear for my country, I fear for our people, I fear for my family, na baka isang umaga ay magigising tayo na iba na ang takbo ng Pilipinas. It is possible for foreign hackers to launch widespread cyberattacks to countries they perceived as enemies to create chaos," ani Tulfo. Sinabi ito ng mambabatas matapos kumpirmahin ng mga kinatawan ng DICT at Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) na mahina ang depensa ng Pilipinas laban sa cyberthreats.

Una, binalaan ni Tulfo ang DICT at CICC laban sa tinatawag na "watering hole" technique, na ginagamit ng mga hackers upang makahawa ng virus sa mga computer ng targets. Nagbabala din niya sila laban sa isang virus na tinatawag na "zombies," na dati nang umatake sa mahigit 730,000 American computers kung saan ginawa nitong tila slaves ang computers upang magamit sa cyberattacks.

Binanggit din ni Tulfo ang grupo ng mga hacker na tinatawag na Hidden Lynx, na suspek sa mga high-profile cyberattacks sa buong mundo. Inatake na nito ang mga tech companies tulad ng Google, mga financial service providers, defense contractors, at mga ahensya ng gobyerno. Dahil sa mga ito, sinabi ni Tulfo na dapat maging mas maingat sa pagbili ng mga computers mula sa mga dayuhang bansa.

"Marami po ang maaapektuhan kapag nag-launch ang ibang bansa ng cyberattack against us. Kaya ng hackers sirain ang operations ng ating power grid, public utilities, government offices, and even military installations. Kaya dapat magiingat po tayo when it comes to procurement of computer systems," ani Tulfo.

Dagdag niya, kaya ring maging target ng cyberattacks ang railway trains, communications, at banking and financial institutions.

Nagbabala siya na ang mga dayuhang hackers ay maaari ding makialam sa proseso ng halalan, tulad ng nangyari noong 2016 US election kung saan nagkaroon ng malawakang mali at malisyosong pagpapakalat ng impormasyon.

Nagpahayag din ng pagkaalarma si Tulfo sa paglalagay ng mga cell towers na bahagyang pag-mamayari ng dayuhang bansa, sa loob ng mga military camps dahil ito ay malaking banta sa national security ng bansa.

Ayon kay Idol, nagbabala siya dahil nangyari na ang cyberattacks sa iba pang mas technologically-advanced na bansa, tulad ng cyberattacks sa electric grid ng Ukraine noong 2015 British national health center noong 2017.

Kung nangyari ito sa mga bansang ito, sinabi ng mambabatas na madali rin itong mangyari sa Pilipinas.

Sa gitna ng mahinang depensa ng bansa, sinabi ni Tulfo na umaasa siyang madadagdagan ang budget DICT at mga kalakip na ahensya nito sa 2023.

"Dapat talagang taasan ang budget ninyo para maprotektahan ninyo ang ating cyberspace against cyberattacks. Para ito sa kapakanan ng sambayanang Pilipino at para maprotektahan ang ating national security," ani Tulfo.

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