JG Summit probing 'possible' cyber attack

Gokongwei-led conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc. is investigating an alleged cybersecurity attack which was claimed to have affected thousands of the company's computers.

"We are aware of circulating reports of a possible cybersecurity attack," JG Summit said in a statement.

It added, "We have activated all response protocols and implemented enhanced security measures to ensure data protection. Our business units continue to have normal operations."

JG Summit said it was working closely with its cybersecurity experts and partners to "proactively investigate and assess the situation."

In a social media post, cybersecurity advocacy group Deep Web Konek said that JG Summit was hit by an alleged ransomware attack, which apparently encrypted data on over 40,000 computers within the company's network.

RansomHub, which was supposedly responsible for the attack, expressed frustration over being ignored by JG Summit and was threatening to initiate additional attacks if its demands were not met, according to Deep Web Konek.

JG Summit said it takes the alleged cyberattack issue "very seriously."

"We recognize that many organizations have faced similar challenges in the current cybersecurity landscape. And, therefore, protecting our data and maintaining the trust of our stakeholders remain our top priority," the company said.

"We will provide relevant updates as needed," it added.

In June, homegrown fastfood giant Jollibee Foods reported that it was affected by unauthorized access to its systems, compromising sensitive personal information such as dates of birth and senior identification numbers of approximately 11 million data subjects.

Last year, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) was hit by a data breach, which affected sensitive data of 42 million individuals, which included patient medical records, billing files, member records, among others.

JG Summit is the holding company of the Gokongwei family's business interests in food and beverage manufacturing, air transportation, real estate and hotels, petrochemicals, infrastructure, power distribution, logistics, traditional and digital banking, telecommunications, and technology. — VDV, GMA Integrated News