The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Thursday, Feb. 8, has confirmed that China approached the Philippines to cooperate with the investigation against the recent thwarted cyberattack.

The said action is related to the DICT tracing the cyber culprit who attempted to breach the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) under a state-owned telecommunication company in China.

"Actually, they have reached out to ask if we can do some cooperation. Because it's actually both ways," DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said in a Presidential Communication Office (PCO) press briefing.

"Cooperation has to come as a mutual activity. So, they are willing to help; they have mentioned that if we can share with them what happened so that they can find where and who did it," Uy added in a mix of English and Filipino.

He then explained that the reason behind the said approach is that there are also cyber culprits based in the Philippines who target Mandarin-speaking countries.

"If you would recall, we raided a scam center in Pasay where we arrested 600 individuals. Of the 600, 200 of those were Chinese," Uy said.

"And when we caught them, we saw their computers. The individuals they victimized were also citizens of China and residents of Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore," he added.

"So we caught them (cyber culptrits), and that's what China wants too. Once we prosecute these people, eventually, they want them to be deported to their country so they can properly prosecute these individuals who are attacking their citizens," Uy said.

'We've never not ruled out anything'

Meanwhile, Uy emphasized that it's "not for us to come up with the conclusion (ruling out that the cyberattacks have nothing to do with the South China Sea dispute); that's too early."

"In cyber investigations, analyzing all of these, we've never ruled out anything. Everything is in the realm of possible," he said.

"But we always maintain an open arms with anyone who wants to cooperate. We don't reject those offers and see where we go from there," he added.

Should not be too gullible

Moreover, the DICT chief urged "the public should be alert and not too gullible."

"You know, no matter what cyber security, firewall, protection we put in your system, it can still be bypassed if using social engineering you willingly give up your password, you willingly give up your pin, your phone number to the scammer," Uy said.

He then emphasized to be suspicious if "If you are offered something that is too good to be true."