Protecting Filipino's data amid cyberattacks on govt. | The Exchange
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The DICT reveals other agencies were also hit by a data breach just a few weeks after PhilHealth faced a cyber attack. What does this mean for Filipinos and our personal data? Let's have an exchange with Michael Santos of the National Privacy Commission.
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The DICT reveals other agencies were also hit by a data breach just a few weeks after PhilHealth faced a cyber attack. What does this mean for Filipinos and our personal data? Let's have an exchange with Michael Santos of the National Privacy Commission.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
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NewsTranscript
00:00 From news and views, issues and opportunities, we'll have in-depth conversations with decision-makers
00:06 to find out what they know and what they think.
00:10 I'm Rico Gizon inviting you to join the exchange because your business is our business.
00:19 Millions of Filipinos risk personal data exposure as hackers target state health insurer PhilHealth
00:27 and authorities warn more agencies have been affected.
00:32 The private sector is renewing calls to strengthen defenses to avoid cyber criminals from further
00:37 exploiting weaknesses in government infrastructure.
00:41 Businesses here and overseas are investing more to protect their databases and systems.
00:46 The vision of regional cybersecurity in our C-Suite vision.
00:52 The Department of Information and Communications Technology reveals other agencies were also
01:07 hit by a data breach just a few weeks after PhilHealth faced a cyber attack.
01:12 What does this mean for all our kababayans and our personal data?
01:17 Let's now have an exchange with Michael Santos of the National Privacy Commission.
01:21 Michael, thank you so much for joining us.
01:23 First PhilHealth and now the Philippine Statistics Authority.
01:26 Why do these data breaches keep on happening?
01:29 Well, that goes to show that our personal information is important and it can be monetized
01:36 and it has value.
01:38 And we're a prime target for cyber criminals.
01:43 Isn't our firewalls, aren't our cyber defenses enough to protect us from these cyber criminals
01:51 and hackers?
01:55 As you know with technology, it's a constant arms race.
02:00 Technologies involving cyber criminals are getting better.
02:03 We should get better.
02:06 We should indeed get better, but it seems like no one is getting caught.
02:10 No one is behind bars.
02:12 Is there not enough political will to enforce the country's data privacy laws?
02:18 Well, the judicial process is long, but we are investigating each and every data breach.
02:27 And we have filed cases on even key government officials responsible for data breach.
02:35 And we're coordinating with our PNP and NBI to go after the cyber criminals.
02:43 But sadly, most are not within our shores.
02:47 Cyber criminals, hackers.
02:49 Michael, every day there is always a new hack.
02:54 I mean, technology continues to evolve and only we can count with our fingers the people
03:00 who are being investigated and who are still not behind bars.
03:07 That's always a challenge for us in government.
03:10 It's always an arms race.
03:11 It's always a catch up with technology.
03:16 But we are rising up to the challenge.
03:18 We're doing this not as an isolated government agency.
03:24 We're putting our resources together for a whole government approach.
03:28 All right, we have PhilHealth and now we have the Philippine Statistics Authority.
03:33 Are we likely to see more of our government departments and agencies being revealed as
03:41 being hacked by cyber criminals?
03:44 Or are some of these agencies keeping that information from the public because if it
03:50 is on earth, if it is revealed, then it will tell the whole world that there is corruption
03:55 within the system.
03:56 And it is the government officials who are hacking it to protect themselves.
04:01 I hope there's no more data breach.
04:03 That's why the National Privacy Commission has sounded the alarm repeatedly for us in
04:10 the government and also in the private sector to implement reasonable and appropriate technical,
04:17 organizational and physical security measures to protect our personal data.
04:22 I hope this would be the last and that our key officials would take the lesson to beef
04:29 up cybersecurity in their systems.
04:32 Beef up cybersecurity?
04:33 Does that also mean that government agencies, the DICT, also have to beef up their budget?
04:43 With more resources, we could do more things.
04:47 With better resources, with more funds, we can increase our education, we can increase
04:54 our guidance to the other government agencies and to the public to better protect personal
05:01 information.
05:02 How does the rise of artificial intelligence and other tech advancements, Michael, affect
05:07 the government's data privacy policy?
05:10 Is it a big help or is it a liability?
05:14 Well, AI is a double-edged sword.
05:19 It could be used.
05:20 It's a good tool.
05:22 It could be used to protect personal information or data privacy.
05:29 We do also realize that it can also be a tool to circumvent our laws and compromise our
05:40 people's privacy.
05:42 You're talking about education, responsibility, information.
05:47 What assistance can the NPC provide affected individuals whose data has been exposed by
05:54 hackers and cybercriminals?
05:58 We're looking into the possibility of creating our website to update our kababayans if they
06:09 are affected.
06:11 We're finalizing everything.
06:13 We've also come up with bulletins with news so that our kababayans could better protect
06:20 themselves and proactively protect themselves if and when their personal information are
06:28 leaked.
06:29 Among these, our first one, monitor your information that you disclose in your social media accounts,
06:36 change your passwords often, and think before you click.
06:40 Do not trust everyone in cyberspace.
06:44 Thank you so much for this data protection exchange.
06:47 Michael Santos from the National Privacy Commission.
06:51 Now here is the week's top business stories.
06:53 Maralco says power rates will rise by 40 centavos per kilowatt hour this October.
06:58 This is equivalent to an 84 peso increase for customers consuming 200 kilowatt hours
07:04 per month.
07:05 As Philippine Statistics Authority figures reveal, the national trade deficit shrank
07:11 to 4.13 billion dollars in August.
07:14 And the Bago Central ng Pilipinas reports foreign direct investment shrank nearly 15
07:18 percent to settle at 4.7 billion dollars from January to July of this year.
07:25 And coming up on the exchange where your business is our business.
07:29 How is the private sector supporting the government's crackdown on cyberattacks and data privacy
07:34 threats?
07:35 We speak to the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team.
07:39 And how does the Philippines fare compared to its Southeast Asian neighbors in terms
07:44 of cyber defense?
07:45 Palo Alto Networks joins us straight ahead right here on CNN Philippines.
07:51 News you can trust.
07:53 [inaudible].
07:58 you