Philippine army investigates cyberattack on its networks

The Philippine Army has acknowledged a cyberattack after a local hacking group claimed responsibility for breaching its systems and accessing sensitive documents.

Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala confirmed the event, describing it as an “illegal access attempt” that was quickly contained. While the group behind the attack has been identified, no damage or data theft has been reported at this time.

Earlier this week, the Philippine digital security advocacy group Deep Web Konek reported that the hacker group Exodus Security claimed to have compromised 10,000 records of active and retired service members. The leaked information allegedly includes personal and military data, such as names, ranks, addresses, medical records, financial information, and criminal histories. However, the authenticity and exact scope of the data have yet to be independently verified.

Philippine authorities have also reported recent attempts by foreign actors to access intelligence data. Minister for Information and Communications Ivan Uy stated that foreign state-sponsored hackers had attempted but failed to infiltrate government systems.

In January, authorities arrested a Chinese national and two Filipino citizens accused of surveilling critical infrastructure, including military sites.

For more information on these topics, visit diplomacy.edu.