MALACANANG expressed alarm over the series of hacking incidence on several government websites in a span of two weeks.
On early Thursday, the website of Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) was hacked, the fourth government agency defaced since December 30.
Other government agencies’ websites hacked includes the Department of Health, the National Disaster Coordinating Council, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar said Thursday that the incidents are alarming considering the country will be kicking off the first computerized elections in May.
But Olivar said the government believed that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is taking necessary precautionary measures against hacking.
“I think as you mentioned your warning is timely for Comelec to setup appropriate safeguard for something like this happening to the electoral process,” he noted.
Earlier, the Comelec assured that hacking will not be a problem as the poll machines to be used in the coming elections have secure websites.
Olivar meanwhile vowed that affected government agencies are already taking responses to restore their websites.
“Of course we are alarmed, I think that we could be sure that the affected agencies are taking necessary measures to fix whatever that needs to be fixed,” the Palace official said.
The recent hackings, according to Olivar, is something not to be considered as security matter.
“It is a problem faced by other countries as well that is why the Philippines should be sensitive about it,” he added. “It is something that has to be handled at the level of the agencies involved clearly if it continues to grow then it will be properly escalated.” (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)