DICT says hacking during Christmas season an issue of awareness

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PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — Hacking is also an issue of “awareness,” according to Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol Jr.

In an interview on the sidelines of the DICT’s “Government Digitalization Cooperation: A Collaboration in Developing Capacity-Building” workshop in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, on Monday, Almirol was asked how the government can protect Filipinos from hacking, particularly this Christmas season.

READ: Text scams declining as Pogo exit deadline nears – DICT

“That’s not hacking. They’re giving their password; they’re giving their OTP, right? I think awareness is also an issue with hacking,” he told INQUIRER.net in a mix of Filipino and English.

Almirol was referring to individuals who unknowingly give their sensitive information to others, compromising their data security.

“That’s why it’s also good to use the [e-GOV PH] Super App, which is one of the web-based services. Because when it’s web-based, like on internet cafes or other laptops, there can be malware,” Almirol said in Filipino.

The e-GOV PH Super App is an integrated mobile platform offering both local and national services, as well as other applications.

“They can get your email, they can get your password. The problem is, sometimes the password and email you use for the government website are the same ones you use for your e-wallet, right? That’s why we really suggest using secure systems and platforms,” he further said in Filipino.

In the same ambush interview, Almirol also reported a significant decrease in the number of text scams recorded as the deadline for the total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators Internet gaming licenses nears.

READ: DICT: Low salary discourages cybersecurity experts from joining gov’t

“There has been a big change, truly a significant one. Before, we used to get flooded with calls for our e-reports. But now, the reports through the text cam are really declining. It’s drastically declining,” Almirol said in Filipino.

While the DICT is not the agency responsible for law enforcement when it comes to text scams, he said that it would be much better if these illegal activities were completely eradicated.