Gatchalian urges DICT to elevate the country's cyber security as a national security concern
October 10, 2024
Gatchalian urges DICT to elevate the country's cyber security as a national security concern
Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to tackle and address the country's cyber security as a national security concern to deter cyber-attacks against major infrastructure.
"My suggestion is to think of cybersecurity as a national security concern in the absence of a law. There should be a sense of urgency because the more that the world is connected, the more that we are prone to cyberattacks. We should be wary of this type of vulnerability in our country," Gatchalian told DICT officials at a recent Senate hearing on the agency's proposed 2025 budget.
According to him, the government needs to ensure the cybersecurity capability of critical infrastructure such as the country's electric transmission lines, certain airports, and water distribution, among others, are properly audited. "Because these infrastructures are privately managed, the government does not have the power to audit their capability in so far as cybersecurity is concerned. Nakakatakot 'yun," he said.
In the case of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), for instance, there has been a running conversation relating to vulnerability to cyber-attacks of the country's transmission backbone, he said.
Gatchalian emphasized the government needs to ensure that critical information infrastructures are sufficiently protected in terms of cybersecurity. "For as long as we don't have a cybersecurity audit in place, the country may be vulnerable and we cannot assure our people that the government is doing its share in protecting critical infrastructure, especially in times of geo-political uncertainties. We need to assure the public that we are on top of the situation," he said.
It can be recalled that Gatchalian filed the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 2022 to establish a more secure cyberspace and a data protection regime compliant with international standards and ensure the free flow of information.
Gatchalian hinimok ang DICT na gawing national security concern ang cyber security ng Pilipinas
Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) na harapin at ikonsidera ang cyber security ng bansa bilang national security concern para mapigilan ang cyber-attacks laban sa mga pangunahing imprastraktura.
"Isipin natin na ang cybersecurity ay isang national security concern dahil wala pang batas tungkol dito. Dapat magkaroon tayo ng sense of urgency dahil habang mas nagiging konektado ang mundo, mas nagiging vulnerable tayo sa cyberattacks. Dapat tayong mag-ingat sa ganitong uri ng aspeto ng bansa," sabi ni Gatchalian sa mga opisyal ng DICT sa katatapos na pagdinig ng Senado sa panukalang 2025 budget ng departamento.
Ayon sa kanya, kailangang tiyakin ng gobyerno na ang kakayahan ng cybersecurity ng mga kritikal na imprastraktura tulad ng mga electric transmission lines ng bansa, mga paliparan, at water distribution, bukod sa iba pa, ay maayos na nagagawan ng audit. "Dahil ang mga imprastraktura na ito ay pribado na pinamamahalaan, ang gobyerno ay walang kapangyarihan na i-audit ang kanilang kakayahan pagdating sa cybersecurity. Nakakatakot 'yun," ani Gatchalian.
Sa kaso ng National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), halimbawa, napag-uusapan ang posibilidad na makompromiso ang transmission backbone ng bansa sa posibleng cyberattacks.
Binigyang-diin ni Gatchalian na kailangang tiyakin ng gobyerno na ang mga critical information infrastructures ay may sapat na proteksyon sa mga tuntunin ng cybersecurity. "Hangga't wala tayong cybersecurity audit, ang bansa ay maaaring maging vulnerable at hindi natin masisiguro sa publiko na ginagawa ng gobyerno ang bahagi nito sa pagprotekta sa mga kritikal na imprastraktura, lalo na sa mga oras ng geo-political uncertainties. Kailangan nating tiyakin sa mga tao na kontrolado natin ang sitwasyon," aniya.
Matatandaang naghain si Gatchalian ng Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 2022 para magtatag ng mas secure na cyberspace at data protection regime na sumusunod sa international standards, at tiyakin ang libreng daloy ng impormasyon.
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