THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has issued a public warning about the possibility of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on November 5, a date globally recognized by hacktivist groups as a symbolic moment for digital protest. These attacks could severely disrupt government websites and financial platforms, exposing vulnerabilities in public systems.
What’s at risk
In an interview with ANC, Undersecretary Renato ‘Aboy’ Paraiso, acting Executive Director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), outlined several high-risk scenarios:
· Disruption of government services, which violates the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175)
· Financial crimes, including fund siphoning and phishing
· Website defacement, especially targeting high-visibility agencies
Paraiso emphasized that small government agencies and local government units (LGUs) are particularly vulnerable due to limited cybersecurity budgets. While national agencies have made strides in compartmentalizing systems to prevent cascading breaches, gaps remain.
In a social media post, the agency said it will closely monitor possible Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) or traffic flood incidents that may cause some websites to load slowly or possibly inaccessible.
The DICT advised users to ‘try again later’ if affected sites fail to load.
Under ‘Oplan Cyberdome,’ the DICT said it continues to coordinate with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, National Telecommunications Commission, law enforcement agencies, and other partners to ensure an immediate response and protection of online platforms.
The agency stressed that the DDoS is not a data breach.
Government response
The DICT and CICC have mobilized to assist agencies in scanning and securing their systems. Free vulnerability assessments and penetration testing (VAPT) are being offered.
‘We’ve seen improvement,’ Paraiso said, ‘but there’s still a long way to go.’
Public advisory: Stay online, stay vigilant
The CICC is not recommending internet abstinence. Instead, it urges citizens to:
· Monitor for slow or inaccessible websites
· Report anomalies via hotline 1326
· Avoid panic and misinformation
· Be cautious of suspicious links and defaced content
Hackers aren’t playing politics
Addressing speculation about politically motivated attacks, Paraiso clarified: ‘Hackers aren’t regional when it comes to politics. Their scope is global.’ He explained that hacktivists are more focused on exposing weaknesses in digital infrastructure than pushing partisan agendas.
A message to hackers
In a rare appeal, Paraiso called on hacktivists to channel their advocacy constructively.
‘If you find vulnerabilities, bring them to us-not to the public-so they aren’t exploited by those with malicious intent.’