The Department of Education (DepEd) says that no information on hacking incidents was logged in its regional offices despite a reported data breach. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) had no information on hacking incidents in its regional offices despite a reported data breach, its deputy spokesperson Asec. Francis Bringas said Friday.
However, Bringas added they are still checking with schools and division offices regarding the alleged info leak.
“‘Yung ating initial information from our regional offices when we asked them kung may mga incidence of hacking sa kanilang website, ‘negative’ naman ang mga kanilang sagot,” Bringas disclosed in an interview over Radyo 630.
(Our initial information from our regional offices when we asked them if there were incidences of hacking on their website, their answers were “negative.”)
READ: DepEd still verifying reports of 750 GB data breach
“Siguro doon sa mga school levels and division levels, ‘yun ‘yung tinitignan natin ngayon,” he also said.
(Maybe at the school levels and division levels, that’s what we’re looking at now.)
DepEd’s actions stemmed from a social media post of “Deep Web Konek” saying that “a threat actor claims to have hacked one of the offices of [DepEd] and accumulated over 750GB data containing banking info, students and teachers information and more.”
Based on its X account bio, Deep Wed Konek is a group of “cybersecurity enthusiasts in the Philippines uncovering and monitoring dark web activities.”
READ: Bongbong Marcos: ‘We have to build our cybercrime unit from scratch’
But Bringas assured the public that DepEd is already coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) regarding the supposed data leak.
“Nakikipag-coordinate na tayo with the DICT. In fact, we were in a telephone conversation with an executive of the DICT, at tinitignan natin ‘yung validity ng mga reports kung meron talagang na-hack,” said Bringas.
(We are coordinating with the DICT. We were in a telephone conversation with an executive of the DICT, and we are checking the validity of the reports to see if something has been hacked.)
READ: Philippines wards off cyber attacks from China-based hackers
Recently, the DICT revealed it had blocked cyberattacks from “within China” on the websites and official pages of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Philippine Coast Guard, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Even the mailboxes of the DICT were reportedly targeted.
On Thursday, Marcos directed the Philippine National Police to build its cybercrime unit from scratch as he noted the rise in the country’s online crimes from 13,890 in 2022 to 21,300 in 2023.