A cyberattack using the Medusa ransomware has affected over 13 million members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
According to PhilHealth’s Senior Vice President and Data Privacy Officer, Nerissa Santiago, the initial estimate indicates that around 13 million individuals’ data has been compromised. Additionally, the personal information of approximately 600 to 800 PhilHealth employees has been leaked.
While the affected employees have been notified, PhilHealth members are yet to receive individual notifications due to the extensive number of people involved.
The organization is in the process of analyzing the data before informing the affected members.
In response to this security breach, PhilHealth is advising the public to take steps to protect their personal information, especially when online.
New Portal Enables PhilHealth Members to Verify Data Amidst Leaks
The organization’s president and CEO, Emmanuel Ledesma Jr., assured that they are implementing measures to prevent similar cyberattacks and that there will be no disruption in their services, despite the transfer of seven members of the agency’s Executive Committee.
Ted Herbosa, Secretary of Health of Philippines, explained that the reassignment of the seven PhilHealth Execom members was prompted by the ransomware attack. While Ledesma expressed sadness and surprise over the decision, he respects the board’s call for an “independent check on the management and its officers.
Makati City Representative Luis Campos Jr. is advocating for an additional budget of PHP3 billion to enhance the capabilities of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC). This move comes in response to a string of cybersecurity attacks targeting government websites.
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