The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is cautioning the public against accessing leaked Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) data due to the presence of harmful software, known as malware.
DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy confirmed that hackers utilized the messaging platform Telegram to disseminate stolen PhilHealth data, employing malware to remain anonymous and challenging to trace.
Malware is a malicious software utilized by cybercriminals to either steal data or harm computer systems.
Uy emphasized the risks associated with malware-infected data, as it could jeopardize devices, applications, and other information.
However, Uy did not provide specific details on how hackers sent messages laden with malware to avoid endangering the public.
As of now, the DICT has not received reports of any illegal usage of the hacked PhilHealth data, according to Uy. He also mentioned the DICT’s inability to remove tainted links, stating that they would need to request Telegram to take down such content, as it is within the app’s domain.
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