DOF installing new cybersecurity system

MANILA, Philippines – In light of the wave of cyberattacks around the world, the Department of Finance (DOF) has resolved to beef up its cybersecurity.

The DOF announced in a statement on Sunday, September 3, that it is now putting in place a comprehensive cybersecurity defense structure that will span all DOF units and attached agencies to shield their online portals and communications systems from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.

It added that starting now and up to next year, the cybersecurity system will be set up through an Advanced Security Operations Center (ASOC). The process would involve the deployment of communication “brokers” to connect all inline security appliances of each attached agency to this ASOC.

A technology modernization team set up within the department has already identified the DOF’s compromised machines, software, and communication lines.

The DOF expects the system to be fully operational by 2021, to be implemented with the help of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Strategies include performing a comprehensive cleanup of all end-point devices connected to the department’s network, establishing threat analytics, sharing protocols with the DICT, and limiting the number of potential channels that hackers usually exploit to gain access to online networks.

Beyond beefing up cybersecurity, the DOF also said it is planning a comprehensive digital infrastructure upgrade, for both hardware and software, of its attached agencies such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The most recent high-profile cyberattack against the government came in the run-up to the 2016 elections, when millions of voters had their information leaked following the hacking of the Commission on Elections’ database. – Rappler.com