MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) revealed that Chinese hackers are responsible for the spate of cyberattacks against the website of the Philippine Coast Guard.
DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said the hackers used a Chinese Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), a type of “sophisticated cyberattack” that steals sensitive data or causes damage to a network over time.
“There are already reports from the US. There are already media reports from other countries. Sinasabi nila that Chinese actors are actively acting on certain government’s online sites,” Dy said at a Malacañang press briefing
“The tactics, techniques, and procedures, which mean the behavior of the attacker is very, very similar to APT41 which is a Chinese group,” he said.
Not pointing fingers
However, the official clarified that even though the hacking was allegedly done by a group of Chinese hackers, he said that he was not pointing fingers at the Chinese government.
“Let me clarify. I never said it’s the Chinese government. I’m just saying it’s a Chinese APT. Magkaiba iyon,” Dy said.
Earlier this year, a string of hacking on the site of the Philippine Coast Guard alarmed officials and lawmakers over the possibility of compromised data.
Measures in place vs. public Wi-Fi sites
The DICT said the agency is putting up measures to prevent illegal activities on public Wi-Fi sites including the provision of sensors that scan dark and surface webs.
“So, it’s a very technical discussion but we’ll be putting in devices, we’ll be putting in sensors to ensure that this network is not being used for illegal activities,” Dy said.
“For example, if you use our free Wi-Fi sites, I’m telling you right now you can’t use it for child pornography et cetera. In fact, we’re going to the extra mile in order to make sure that you’re not misusing it,” he added.
