Senator Tulfo wants higher DICT budget for 2023, aims to improve cybersecurity
Senator Rafael Tulfo suggested a higher budget for the Department of Information and Communications Technology during a Senate hearing.
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| File photo: DICT logo |
Not enough budget to prevent cyber attacks here?
To recall, we made a report that the said department started an investigation regarding the proliferation of text scams, which now even contain the real name of the users. GCash even hid some letters in the recipient's name to improve its data protection.
According to a source, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is looking at six syndicates believed to be behind the surge of text scam messages in the country. CICC, an attached agency of the DICT, is responsible for the investigation of cybercrime.
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos stated that the cybersecurity measures that the Philippine government has in place are not sufficient to fully defend the country's cyberspace.
When asked by Senator Tulfo regarding the issue, Ramos admitted that PH is vulnerable. Hence, they are trying to increase their capability. He added,
Since we assumed office, we have developed a team that will concentrate on [being] application experts. In the same manner, the forensics group was given a new mission to concentrate on hardware exploits. These moves are needed to preempt possible intrusions in the future.
The director said that the two teams formed are only weeks old. Moreover, there's the Cybersecurity Bureau which is a unit that is formed to guard the safety and security of the digital environment in the country.
Tulfo requested with other senators to increase the 2023 fund of the DICT to assure that the Philippine cyberspace is safe and secure. He explained,
I was scared when you said that we are vulnerable to cyberattacks, which, as I understand it, is because lack the budget that is really needed. Perhaps training in other countries is needed so that we can be updated on new technologies to prevent cyberattacks.
Allegedly, the Department of Information and Communications Technology was initially seeking PHP 40.34 billion in national government allocations for the coming year.
However, under the National Expenditure Program, the government agency only granted a total of PHP 8.8 billion, part of which includes the automatic allotments from spectrum user fees.
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