PNP: Defense measures ready amid cyberattack threat

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday that cybersecurity measures are already in place even before the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) a possible Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on November 5. 

“With or without prior warning, the PNP has long been fortifying its systems—because we carry critical law enforcement data that must never fall into the wrong hands. We have learned from past incidents where some of our databases were compromised, and we refuse to let that happen again,” said Police Lt. General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. in a statement. 

The PNP chief said that the police body is implementing multi-layered security (firewalls, system hardening) and ensuring personnel accountability to protect sensitive police databases. These databases cover e-Warrants, clearances, crime data, firearms, vehicles, and internal discipline records.

The DICT earlier said that it will monitor the possible DDoS or “traffic flood”, a type of cyberattack where multiple devices overwhelm a targeted system, server, or network to slow it down or make it unstable or completely unavailable to users.

Meanwhile, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group is working closely with the DICT,  Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, National Telecommunications Commission, and other law enforcement units in monitoring possible attack signals.

The PNP added that immediate response measures are ready to be deployed if any police or public websites come under attack. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News