What did hackers learn when they hacked the personal website of the President of the Philippines?
Philippine authorities have reported successfully repelling a cyberattack allegedly carried out by hackers from China. The action took place against the backdrop of lawmakers demands to hold an urgent meeting on national security issues.
Many government agencies were targeted, including the Coast Guard, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Department of Justice, the National Coastal Surveillance System, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the personal website of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
DICT spokesman Renato Paraiso said the attackers IP addresses were traced back to China, where they used the services of the state-owned telecom operator Unicom. DICT stressed that pointing out the service and the territory from which the attacks were carried out is not an attempt to formally blame Beijing. The agency also called on the Chinese government to help prevent further attacks.
The Speaker of the country's House of Representatives, Martin Romualdez, noted that the hacks allegedly committed by hackers from China are a matter of national security and public interest. He stressed the critical importance of the incident, pointing out the need for an immediate and comprehensive response.
Romualdez called on DICT and other interested bodies to provide a thorough briefing to the House of Representatives, focusing on the nature and scale of cyberattacks, existing measures to prevent future incidents, and strategies to strengthen the cybersecurity infrastructure.
The speaker suggested holding the hearing openly, emphasizing the importance of transparency in this issue, since it affects not only the integrity of the government's digital infrastructure, but also the security and privacy of citizens.
The attacks come amid strained relations between the Philippines and China, particularly over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Recall that in 2016, an arbitration court decision in favor of the Philippines recognized the rights to the Spratly Archipelago, despite Beijing's claims. In addition, in 2022, another campaign related to China was discovered, when the information security company Mandiant revealed the use of USB devices to provide hackers with access to systems physically located in the Philippines.
Philippine authorities have reported successfully repelling a cyberattack allegedly carried out by hackers from China. The action took place against the backdrop of lawmakers demands to hold an urgent meeting on national security issues.
Many government agencies were targeted, including the Coast Guard, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Department of Justice, the National Coastal Surveillance System, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the personal website of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
DICT spokesman Renato Paraiso said the attackers IP addresses were traced back to China, where they used the services of the state-owned telecom operator Unicom. DICT stressed that pointing out the service and the territory from which the attacks were carried out is not an attempt to formally blame Beijing. The agency also called on the Chinese government to help prevent further attacks.
The Speaker of the country's House of Representatives, Martin Romualdez, noted that the hacks allegedly committed by hackers from China are a matter of national security and public interest. He stressed the critical importance of the incident, pointing out the need for an immediate and comprehensive response.
Romualdez called on DICT and other interested bodies to provide a thorough briefing to the House of Representatives, focusing on the nature and scale of cyberattacks, existing measures to prevent future incidents, and strategies to strengthen the cybersecurity infrastructure.
The speaker suggested holding the hearing openly, emphasizing the importance of transparency in this issue, since it affects not only the integrity of the government's digital infrastructure, but also the security and privacy of citizens.
The attacks come amid strained relations between the Philippines and China, particularly over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Recall that in 2016, an arbitration court decision in favor of the Philippines recognized the rights to the Spratly Archipelago, despite Beijing's claims. In addition, in 2022, another campaign related to China was discovered, when the information security company Mandiant revealed the use of USB devices to provide hackers with access to systems physically located in the Philippines.
