Cybersecurity concern raised over measure relaxing telco restriction

Stakeholders have raised concern about the country’s cybersecurity saying the Philippines continues to be a hotbed of cyberattacks as proposed measure relaxing the country's restrictions on telcos gain support.

Cyber intelligence company CYFIRMA said the Philippines is a prime target for cyber espionage activities due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness and underdeveloped cybersecurity infrastructure, especially with the rising tension in the region.

Intelligent global network Cloudflare has recorded an average of five billion cyberattacks per day in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 28% compared to the prior quarter.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has been advocating elevating cybersecurity as a national concern in the absence of law, noting that the Philippines is prone to cyberattacks.

“There should be a sense of urgency because the more that the world is connected, the more that we are prone to cyberattacks. We should be wary of this type of vulnerability in our country," Gatchalian said.

Advocacy network CitizenWatch Philippines and think tank Stratbase have expressed concern over the proposed Konektadong Pinoy Act or Senate Bill 2699, which could potentially open the Philippines telco space to foreign hackers.

SB 2699 seeks to will eliminate the need for a congressional franchise for telecommunication companies, which "diminishes" the regulatory powers of the National Telecommunication Commission  into mere oversight.

"The Konektadong Pinoy Act proposes to reduce the NTC’s role to that of a mere registrar, stripped of its oversight functions. If the NTC’s role is diminished, consumers may find themselves with little recourse when faced with poor service or unfair practices," CitizenWatch lead convenor Orlando Oxales said.

“A worse, more alarming scenario could also emerge. These may open opportunities for cybercrime syndicates to infiltrate and cause harm to our individual and enterprise consumers in both the government and private sectors,” he added.

The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators earlier said opening the country’s data transmission sector may have adverse effects on national security and consumer protection. 

On the other hand, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) expressed support for the Konektadong Pinoy bill. 

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the proposed measure “aims to reduce costs and expand access to high-quality internet services for all Filipinos, especially those in unserved and underserved areas.”  

He added that it will also promote competition in the digital space which would result in affordable cost for digital connectivity among Filipinos.—Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA Integrated News