The local government of Pasig is investigating a cyberattack on its Government Employee Management System (Pasig City GEMS), even though no data leak involving the system’s contents has been recorded yet.
It was reported that the cyberattack was detected on April 11 when city government employees were unable to access the system.
Currently, it said that the system remains inaccessible and will stay offline until the issue is resolved, with restoration efforts underway to restore full functionality. Enhanced security measures are also being implemented across all government systems.
In addition, the local government is now coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to swiftly identify the source of the issue.
“Magpapalabas ng memorandum ang Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) kaugnay ng status ng Pasig City GEMS, maging ang epekto ng cyberattack sa operations ng opisina at maging sa data security (The HRDO will issue a memorandum regarding the status of Pasig City GEMS and the effects of the cyberattack on office operations and data security),” it said.
The Pasig City GEMS is a first-of-its-kind employee management system specifically for the LGU. It handles timekeeping, records, payroll, leave applications, training documentation, and more for existing employees.
It also acts as a job application system, posting all the available job openings for the LGU and allowing applicants to sign up and send their personal data sheets and resumes.