A CONSUMER advocacy group has lauded the President Marcos’ approval of the National Cybersecurity Plan 2024-2029 amid the rising incidence of cyberattacks targeting the government and private sector enterprises.
“We strongly support the President’s approval of the National Cybersecurity Plan as it is critical to the development of a thriving digital economy that will be a key driver of sustained growth and inclusive prosperity,” said CitizenWatch Philippines co-convenor and former legislator Kit Belmonte.
Belmonte’s statement came on the heels of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan Uy announcement of approval of the comprehensive five-year plan to operationalize and strengthen the country’s defense against cyberattacks.
Belmonte pointed out that the recent cyberattack attempts on Philippine government websites that were successfully thwarted by the DICT—a allegedly traced to Chinese hackers—amplifies the urgency to equip all sectors, from the institution to individual level with cybersecurity skills and technology.
“The landscape of cybercrime and nation-state attacks is constantly evolving with creatively deceiving tactics, posing an ever-increasing threat. This calls for nothing less than a vigilant and strategic approach in fortifying our cybersecurity defenses,” Belmonte said.
He also said all government agencies must implement robust security measures to safeguard not only the organization, but also its stakeholders that need to interact with their systems to avail themselves of public services.