DepEd still verifying reports of 750 GB data breach

INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said it is already verifying reports of a data breach in a certain education department.

“We have instructed the field offices to run diagnostics and verify if there was indeed a hack,” DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa told reporters through Viber.

“No report as of the moment as verification is ongoing,” he added.

Poa also said that DepEd is already coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on the matter.

READ: President Marcos OKs 5-year national cybersecurity plan

This developed after a circulating post online revealed that over 750 gigabytes of data have been accumulated from a certain education department in the Philippines.

The said data allegedly included banking information and students’ information.

While no government agency or location was specified by the post, the DICT said it has already isolated its investigation to a certain DepEd regional office.

“We’re still verifying this report but we can say that we isolated our investigation to a regional office of the DepEd,” DICT Assistant Secretary Aboi Paraiso told reporters through Viber.

Paraiso said the DICT will share its findings and the extent of the data breach within the day.

The incident came shortly after the DICT previously announced it had blocked cyberattacks from “within China” on the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, on the mailboxes of the DICT, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the President’s official website.

READ: Philippines wards off cyber attacks from China-based hackers

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also recently approved a five-year National Cybersecurity Plan which outlines how to bolster the country’s guard against cyberattacks.