PCIJ website goes offline after cyber attack

A hacking attack forced the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) to temporarily take down its website, its Executive Director Carmela Fonbuena said on Wednesday.

“There is an active hacking attack on our website. We are temporarily taking it down to allow us to assess and prevent further damage,” Fonbuena said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said this is the “most serious” attack against the PCIJ in recent years, adding the cyber hackers’ intention is to render inaccessible the website of the nonprofit and independent media agency that specializes in investigative reporting.

“We are taking this security concern seriously and are taking steps to protect our infrastructure and archives. Thank you for understanding,” Fonbuena said.

According to the NUJP, the attack on the media website is the latest in the cyber attacks and defacements of news websites that forced them to go offline.

“Every news website that has to go offline, even temporarily, means less public access to information and fewer resources devoted to reporting,” the NUJP added.