In a major cybersecurity incident, hackers have stolen an estimated 2TB of data from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The breach was confirmed by officials, who stated that the intrusion was carried out by local threat actors claiming affiliation with a group called “#opEDSA” organized by “ph1ns.”
The hackers left a message attributing their actions to a protest against proposed changes to the Philippine constitution (Charter change). However, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has stated that the true motives behind the attack remain unclear.
DOST and DICT’s Rapid Response and Mitigation Efforts
Immediately upon detecting the breach, the DOST requested assistance from the DICT’s National Computer Response Team (NCRT), which has been on-site at DOST’s premises since the incident, working to mitigate damages and recover access to the compromised data.
DICT Undersecretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic emphasized the government’s firm stance against negotiating with cybercriminals, stating, “We do not respond well to threats. We do not deal with these threat actors and we do not bend to the will of criminals.”
While the full extent of the data breach is still being investigated, this incident highlights the ongoing risks posed by cyber threats to government agencies and the need for robust cybersecurity measures. The same group was also responsible for a recent data breach on a big tech company.
This remains a big concern, especially for the those who have entrusted their personal information into any government agency. Is our data really safe?
DOST Data Breach FAQ
A1: According to officials, an estimated 2TB of data was stolen from DOST by hackers.
Q2: Who is responsible for the attack?
A2: The hackers claimed affiliation with a group called “#opEDSA” organized by “ph1ns,” and stated their actions were a protest against proposed constitutional changes (Charter change). However, authorities are still investigating the true motives behind the attack.
Q3: What is being done to address the breach?
A3: DICT’s National Computer Response Team (NCRT) has been on-site at DOST since the incident, working to mitigate damages and recover access to the compromised data. The government has also reiterated its firm stance against negotiating with cybercriminals.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
