The Philippines faces a critical challenge in combating state-sponsored cyberattacks from China. With only 35 members, the understaffed Philippine cyber response team struggles to address the growing frequency of online security breaches.
A recent report links a cyberattack on a government agency to a Chinese group called Stately Taurus, highlighting the alignment of their operations with China’s geopolitical interests.
The Philippines has experienced widespread cyber incidents, including compromised user accounts and high-profile data leaks. Jeffrey Ian Dy, undersecretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology, reveals occasional collaboration with anonymous hackers due to resource shortages.
The Philippine armed forces plan to recruit more “cyber warriors” to counter daily threats. The global community, including the US and UK, has raised concerns about China’s digital threat. Experts suggest learning from Taiwan’s experience with cyberattacks from mainland China.
As the Philippines grapples with the increasing cyber menace, experts point to Taiwan’s experience with massive cyberattacks from mainland China as instructive. Sherwin Ona, a cyber defense consultant, noted that China appears to be adopting Russia’s playbook in using cyber tactics against its adversaries.
Source: PhilNews24 | January 10, 2023
