The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Sunday, Oct. 15, said the hacking incident in the House of Representatives (HOR) website is currently under investigation.
"The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has been informed of the cybersecurity incident that occurred at the House of Representatives (HOR)," DICT Supervising Director for Information and Strategic Communications Division Aries Joseph Hegina said in a statement.
"We are in constant communication and coordination with the HOR and are currently investigating the extent of the said incident. We shall provide further updates to the public as soon as they become available," he pointed out.
According to the report, the official website of the House of Representatives was hacked by an unknown perpetrator using the username "3musketeerz."
The hacker posted the message "Happy APRIL FULLZ KAHIT OCTOBER PALANG! FIX YOUR WEBSITE" and disrupted the scheduled meetings.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives confirmed the hacking incident on its "X" account, previously known as Twitter.
"We wish to inform the public that the official website of the House of Representatives experienced unauthorized access earlier today. Immediate steps have been taken to address the issue," House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said.
Furthermore, it requested the public's "patience and understanding" as they work to restore the website.
"We are committed to ensure the security and integrity of our digital platforms, and we will implement additional measures to prevent such incidents in the future," Velasco said.
"For the moment, we advise the public to be cautious of any suspicious emails or communications that claim to be from the House of Representatives," Velasco added.
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https://mb.com.ph/2023/10/15/house-reacts-to-website-hacking