The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has instructed its employees to refrain from connecting government-issued laptops to public Wi-Fi networks.
Under Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) 22-2024, dated June 14, 2024, and signed by BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr., the bureau said the directive is aimed at safeguarding sensitive taxpayer information.
One key provision in RMO 22-2024 prohibited using BIR-issued laptops on public Wi-Fi networks.
The order specified that BIR employees are not allowed from connecting their laptops to public Wi-Fi hotspots, like those found in internet cafes, malls, and other places offering free Wi-Fi services.
When connecting to home Wi-Fi, a pocket Wi-Fi, or a mobile hotspot, BIR added that employees must verify that the access point has secure configurations.
Using public Wi-Fi with government-issued laptops can make sensitive data vulnerable to hackers that could compromise confidential tax information.
Government agencies have been increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks as they store valuable data that hackers can exploit for financial gain.
In April, the Bureau of Customs fell victim to a data breach, resulting in the compromise of about 4.5 gigabytes of data by hackers.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology said the breached data included the personal information of more than 2,200 employees and approximately 80,000 customers.
A recent study by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky showed that the Philippines recorded an average of one cyber threat per second in 2023, totaling nearly 72,000 daily threats.