DICT, CICC order 24-hour cyber checks across government and critical infrastructure

The Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center have directed government bodies and critical infrastructure operators to carry out urgent cybersecurity checks within 24 hours of receiving a joint advisory.

The directive covers national government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, and operators of Critical Information Infrastructure. Each organization must give its agency head or chief executive a one-page assessment identifying its most serious cybersecurity risks, actions already taken, and any assistance it requires. (Newsbytes.PH)

The prescribed measures include fixing critical vulnerabilities, enforcing multi-factor authentication on privileged accounts, removing unnecessary internet exposure, strengthening security monitoring, checking whether backups can be restored, reviewing third-party access, and testing incident-response and service-continuity procedures. (Newsbytes.PH)

The advisory follows recent incidents involving the Department of Migrant Workers and Department of Labor and Employment. DICT confirmed unauthorized access involving the DMW website and a web defacement involving a DOLE web host. The affected services were taken offline while technical teams carried out forensic investigation, recovery and security hardening. (Philippine News Agency)

DICT said its initial assessment found no compromise of sensitive databases or personally identifiable information in either incident. The agency also investigated a reported ransomware attack against the Philippine Ports Authority but said its review found no ransomware activity or system compromise there. (Philippine News Agency)

Under the new readiness framework, organizations will be classified as green, amber or red. Red conditions require immediate reporting and response, while amber conditions require remediation and monitoring. A green status calls for continued vigilance and does not mean an organization has no cybersecurity risk. (TechWatch Philippines)