The defacement of the state’s website may further fuel the digital protest movement
By Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel
CYBERATTACKS targeting the websites of the Senate and the House of Representatives may signal an increase in politically motivated digital protests, analysts say, prompting calls for the government to strengthen cybersecurity protections at all public institutions.
“These gray hat hackers are doing politically motivated hacktivism, sending a message of disapproval to our sitting members,” Chester B. Cabalza, founding president of the International Development and Security Cooperation, told BusinessWorld.
The incidents occurred within days of each other, raising concerns about the vulnerability of the government’s digital infrastructure and the possibility that the Internet could be increasingly used as a platform for political expression and protest.
The Senate website was hacked on June 11, coinciding with a week of political tension following the June 8 Blue Ribbon Committee consultation led by Senator Erwin T. Tulfo.
A group calling itself “Nullsec Philippines” claimed responsibility for the attack and had previously posted criticism of public officials on social media.
Two days later, the House website was also hacked by several groups. The Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) said it found no indication that confidential or sensitive information was compromised.
Mr. Cabalza said that these incidents are consistent with the method of deception, where cyber attacks are used to promote political or social messages rather than to gain money.
“The message is simple – senators should stop their shenanigans in the Senate,” he said via Facebook Messenger.
He added that hacktivism can be a visible form of activism as political parties and individuals look for other ways to attract public attention and pressure institutions.
Eric Daniel C. de Torres, a professor of political science at the University of the East, said the motives behind the attack are still unclear.
“The hackers may be sending a message to all members of the Senate to unite, resolve the issue of leadership and do their legislative duties,” he said via Messenger. “It can also be a conspiracy of a group or an individual to confuse the situation.”
Mr. de Torres said these incidents should prompt the DICT and other agencies to improve the government’s cybersecurity programs, adding that the attacks revealed weaknesses in the public’s digital infrastructure.
He said the damage shows that government websites are always vulnerable to cyberattacks even if there is no sensitive information at risk.
Hansley A. Juliano, a political science professor at Ateneo de Manila University, said that cybercrime has long been among the most common threats facing government institutions.
“They may need to review the impact of previous security fixes and why they don’t seem to be working,” he said in a media interview. “This is an administration job across all branches, and it doesn’t speak well of it.”
Mr. Juliano also expressed concern that the paralysis in government programs could leave public institutions exposed not only to local hacktivist groups but also to foreign government-backed information and propaganda campaigns.
He said the latest attack was not intended to show support for a political party, to show public frustration over internal conflicts in the government or simply to attract attention.
Mr. Cabalza said that politically motivated cyber activities have long been part of the digital landscape, citing the “ILOVEYOU” computer virus that was created in the Philippines in 2000, which infected millions of computers worldwide.
“Hacktivism is here to stay and will be part of the country’s colorful political culture,” he said.
The incidents occurred amid political upheaval in the Senate, which has seen leadership changes and disputes involving several lawmakers in recent weeks. The controversy attracted public attention and contributed to the delay in the passage of the priority legislation.
