Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), has ordered all units to strengthen their cybersecurity measures after a hacker claimed to have breached the police’s Logistics Data Information and Management System and disrupted the operation of the system.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said Marbil specifically tasked unit heads to boost the security of all its online system in order to prevent the repeat of the data breach which allegedly includes database sample of personal information of PNP personnel.

“Aside from the logistics system, the PNP has been maintaining data system, most of them are vulnerable to attacks. So our Chief PNP said that we should always make sure that the PNP is ready to any kind of cyber attacks,” said Fajardo.

Currently, Fajardo said the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group is investgating the data breach.

And as to the system that was hacked, she said the initial assessment disclosed that it is working well and in good running condition.

“But it remains shutdown as we speak because the ACG is conducting assessment and necessary steps to mitigate the breach so as not to further the damage,” said Fajardo.

“As to the possibility that data were compromised, we cannot say at this time because our IT experts are extracting information from the server logs and are conducting digitl forensics to determine the possible origin,” she added.

Several government agencies have aleady been hacked in the past few years, which prompted the PNP leadership last year to order further cybersecurity measures.