The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has announced its intention to appeal the decision made by the House of Representatives to scrap its proposed confidential funds for 2024.
DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy stated that they would seek reconsideration from the Senate regarding the removal of the proposed P300 million in confidential funds, emphasizing that this move sends a negative message to the world.
Secretary Uy expressed concern about the increasing cyber threats and cyber criminals, stating that defunding cybersecurity in the Philippines contradicts the global trend and signals a lack of interest in protecting the country’s cyber borders.
During an interview, he highlighted the importance of cyber defense, stating that the Philippines should not only focus on physical borders but also on protecting cyber borders.
The DICT is among the civilian agencies that experienced reductions in confidential funds as the House of Representatives transferred them to auditable items.
House leaders explained that the majority of the affected agencies’ confidential funds would be allocated to agencies responsible for national security, particularly in the West Philippine Sea region.
However, Secretary Uy argued that safeguarding physical borders is just one part of national security, emphasizing the need to address cyber borders as well. He pointed out recent cyber attacks on PhilHealth and warned of future attacks, questioning whether these incidents raise concerns about national security.
When asked if the DICT’s proposed confidential funds could be shifted to publicly audited line items, Secretary Uy expressed concerns about providing information that could be exploited by cybercriminals.
He explained that publishing the details of security devices and systems would compromise their effectiveness and compromise the country’s cybersecurity measures.
Secretary Uy also noted that the DICT cannot solely rely on the cybercrime arm of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) due to the distinct nature of cybersecurity.
While the NBI specializes in forensics and data retrieval for criminal investigations, cybersecurity involves intelligence gathering, analyzing the threat landscape, studying criminal operations, and protecting cyber borders.
Source: PhilNews24 | October 11, 2023
