DOST: No personal info compromised from OneExpert portal cyberattack

FILE PHOTO: A computer keyboard lit by a displayed cyber code is seen in this illustration picture taken on March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) assured the public that no personal information was compromised in a recent cyberattack on OneExpert portal.

The agency made this pronouncement even if it also acknowledged that data resembling the listed names of technical experts and users, as well as their email addresses, from the OneExpert site, were posted on Facebook on October 8.

OneExpert is a portal that serves as a publicly available registry of Filipino experts, the DOST said, adding that the online gateway aims to enhance access to services of experts and expand assistance on science and technology in the country.

“While this incident may cause concern among the affected individuals and the public, we would like to assure everyone that no sensitive personal information has been compromised,” DOST Western Visayas Regional Director Rowen Gelonga said in a statement Thursday.

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DOST Statement

According to Gelonga, the data breach was reported to them by the Philippine National Computer Emergency Response Team on August 31.

The DOST said an investigation conducted by a response team found that a compromised account may have been used to access the site.

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It also said appropriate actions and additional security measures were implemented to address the problem and avoid similar incidents in the future.

And while normal operation of the website has been restored, the DOST noted that the list of clients or users in the OneExpert portal is still not readily accessible. It added that use of the website is being monitored and logged as part of their official records.

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