Hackers deface gov't websites for bragging rights —NBI

National Bureau of Investigation's Cybercrime Division believes that hackers who defaced government agencies' websites primarily did so for bragging rights.

"Ang nakikita lang namin doon sa massive defacement ng [website ng] iba't ibang government agencies, bragging rights lang eh. Gusto lang nilang maipagmalaki," NBI Cybercrime Division chief Victor Lorenzo said in an interview on GMA Super Radyo dzbb on Sunday.

"'Yung iba kasi gina-glamorize natin 'yung mga hacker pero dapat tingnan din natin, ito bang mga kabataan na ito tama ba ang pinupuntahan nila?" he added.

Last week, reports said that "old and unclassified data" from the Philippine Army's website was supposedly accessed by a group of hackers in December 2018.

Philippine Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, on the other hand, clarified that the hackers have not totally broken into the AFP's network, and that an investigation is ongoing to track down the suspects.

"'Yung mga nagha-hack are just misdirected youth," Zagala said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview, stressing the need to instill discipline among the youth.

Lorenzo agreed with Zagala, saying that the tech-savvy generation must be guided in their online and offline activities.

"Dapat intindihin natin ang mga millennial, ang Generation X. Sa kanila, ang virtual reality is as real as physical reality," he said.

Further, Zagala said that the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) may help in inculcating patriotism and responsibility among the youth so that they may use their talents and skills in the service of the nation.

He also said that the communist movement  has taken advantage of social media to recruit more youths for the communist insurgency.

"Dati ang agitation papasok ka sa classroom, ngayon dito na nangyayari sa social media," Zagala said.

Zagala and Lorenzo both encouraged the public on the responsible use of the internet. —Dona Magsino/LBG, GMA News