Napaulat na hacking sa Comelec data, iimbestigahan ng DICT cyber security bureau

MAGSASAGAWA ng sariling imbestigasyon ang Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) hinggil sa di umano’y hacking incident sa Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) data.

Sa katunayan, ipinag-utos ni Acting Secretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic sa Cybersecurity Bureau ng departamento na magsagawa ng sarili nitong imbestigasyon ukol sa napaulat na hacking sa data ng komisyon.

Ang kautusan ay base sa inilathalang ulat ng Manila Bulletin noong Enero 10, 2022 na nagpapahiwatig na ang hackers di umano ay mayroong access sa servers ng Comelec at di umano’y ninakaw ang mga mahahalagang files kabilang na ang usernames at personal identification numbers ng vote-counting machines (VCMs), ayon sa DICT.

Matatandaang, iniulat ng Manila Bulletin Tech News team na mayroong 60 gigabytes ng data ang illegal na kinuha mula sa servers,

“While the report has been denied by the Comelec through spokesperson James Jimenez, it is in the interest of the citizenry and of the country to feel secure in the electoral process. This is why I have tasked the DICT’s Cybersecurity Bureau to immediately and independently investigate these allegations,” ayon kay Caintic.

“If indeed information has been stolen, there is still time to make the necessary changes and precautions to ensure a fair, honest, and efficient election,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

Sinabi naman ng Comelec na kasalukuyan nilang bina-validate ang di umano’y hacking sa poll data at kinuwestiyon kung may bahid ng katotohanan ang ulat lalo pa’t wala namang maaaring i-hack na data dahil hindi pa naman available ang data.

Para naman kay DICT Cybersecurity Bureau Director Jose Carlos Reyes, nakikipag-ugnayan na ang kanyang team sa Comelec.

“The National Computer Emergency Response Team of the Cybersecurity Bureau has been coordinating and assisting the Comelec Information Technology Department Director Jeannie V. Flororita on this matter,” ayon kay Reyes.

Samantala, kasalukuyan na ring iniimbestigahan ng National Privacy Commission (NPC) ang napaulat na data hacking incident , sabay sabing kailangan din na magsagawa ng imbestigasyon ang Comelec sa nasabing insidente at mangyaring magsumite ng resulta ng kanilang imbestigasyon sa NPC sa Enero 21.

Ipinalabas ng NPC ang kautusan nito para sa pagdalo na rin ng mga kinauukulang partido gaya ng Comelec, Manila Bulletin, at Art Samaniego Jr., Technology editor at IT head ng Manila Bulletin —sa isang clarificatory meeting noong Enero 25, 2022.

“The upcoming elections have highlighted the need to tighten measures in protecting the information gathered from our stakeholders and preventing its use outside the intended purpose. Rest assured, the DICT Cybersecurity Bureau will support the Comelec to ensure that the integrity of the elections is not compromised by any attempt of data breach,” ayon kay DICT Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity Atty. Kristoffer Tiansay. (Daris Jose)