Groups raise concerns on cybersecurity for 2025 midterm polls
Cybersecurity experts and other stakeholders have expressed concerns on the country’s security for the 2025 midterm elections amid reports of an increase in cyberattacks in the Philippines.
Intelligent global network Cloudflare recorded an average of five billion cyberattacks per day in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 28 percent compared to the same period last year.
During the Bagong Pilipinas Media Engagement and Workshop, cybersecurity experts said artificial intelligence and foreign adversaries will most likely target the communications technology network of the government during the election period.
The group Richest PH said the Philippines’ telecommunication space is crucial for a developing country like the Philippines, as day-to-day operations are starting to involve the use of the internet.
The cyber intelligence company CYFIRMA, on the other hand, said the Philippines is a prime target for cyber espionage activities due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness and underdeveloped cybersecurity infrastructure, especially with the rising tension in the region.
For their part, CitizenWatch Philippines and the think tank Stratbase have expressed concerns over the proposed Konektadong Pinoy Act, or the Senate Bill 2699.
The two groups said the bill, if passed, will eliminate the need for a congressional franchise for telecommunication companies, which "diminishes" the regulatory powers of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) into mere oversight.
"The Konektadong Pinoy Act proposes to reduce the NTC’s role to that of a mere registrar, stripped of its oversight functions. If the NTC’s role is diminished, consumers may find themselves with little recourse when faced with poor service or unfair practices," CitizenWatch Lead Convenor Orlando Oxales said.
“A worse, more alarming scenario could also emerge. These may open opportunities for cybercrime syndicates to infiltrate and cause harm to our individual and enterprise consumers in both the government and private sectors,” he added.