CICC warns public over claims election results may be altered

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center warned the public about individuals who claim they can alter the election results in exchange for a large sum of money.

In a statement, CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos said understanding the automated election system for Eleksyon 2025 on May 12 was "too complex." He denied claims that the AES was too easy to hack.

Ramos said that the automated election system had three independent systems to ensure that results were secure.

One is the machine application, which has been locked and cannot be altered once programmed.

The transmission is too complex to understand that there is a designated time when it can connect and where to connect in a virtual private network. Encrypted files pass a seven-layer security check at the receiving end. The servers will only receive packets of data approximately 220kb of encrypted file from registered IP and devices in its system.

The consolidation server is programmed to receive only encrypted files. The key is kept in the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

"It has SHA 256 encryption whose hash codes are published and cannot be duplicated. Any attempt to alter files or change in process, the hash codes will automatically change alerting the system," the statement read.

The CICC urged especially the candidates to report individuals or groups offering to alter the election results to the CICC Hotline 1326.

Ramos issued the statement after the Commission on Elections (Comelec), through Task Force Katotohanan, Katapatan at Katarungan (KKK) sa Halalan, has filed a cybercrime complaint against Isabela vice mayoral bet Jeryll Harold Respicio over his claims on social media that he can manipulate the results of Eleksyon 2025.

In a statement, Respicio claimed that the complaint was filed because he "exposed" the vulnerabilities of the election machines.

"Kinasuhan ako ng COMELEC dahil sa Facebook video kung saan inilahad ko ang malubhang kahinaan ng voting machines," he said.

(The Comelec filed the complaint because of a Facebook video where I exposed the vulnerabilities of the machines.) –NB, GMA Integrated News

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