In recent news, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) disclosed a significant cyberattack on the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) system, impacting approximately 2 terabytes of data.
According to DICT spokesperson Aboy Paraiso, the collaboration between the two agencies is underway to recover the lost data. This incident is being regarded as one of the largest data breaches due to its extensive reach.
The cyber advocate group “Deep Web Konek” initially reported the breach, indicating that a prominent threat actor obtained access to critical network components, including supervisors and Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, ultimately securing Domain Administrator privileges.
The group claimed that 25 TB of data were compromised. Furthermore, the threat actor defaced the DOST website with messages denouncing political dynasties and opposing Charter change, using the hashtag opEDSA.
Data Ethics Founder and Director Dominic Ligot expressed concerns regarding the potential impact of the breach on DOST’s operations, particularly if there is no backup data available. Ligot highlighted the risk of compromised personal information, which could lead to identity theft and further breaches.
Addressing the possible motives behind the attack, DICT’s Paraiso suggested that the threat actor could be a “hacktivist,” advocating for specific causes or challenging governmental authority. He emphasized the necessity for government agencies to enhance their cybersecurity measures in anticipation of future attacks.
How can individuals and organizations better safeguard themselves against such cyber threats?
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