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Teen Hacker Linked to Hacking of Government Agencies, School Websites

 

A search warrant has been issued for the house of a sixteen-year-old teen who has been implicated in hacking multiple government and private organisation websites by the Philippine National Police's Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG).

Brig. Gen. Ronnie Cariaga, director of PNP-ACG, stated that the boy was also connected to the hacking of several schools' websites. Cariaga claimed that on July 18, when the search warrant was executed at his General Santos City home in connection with the social media posting of two police officers' personal information, the boy turned over multiple devices. 

“The warrants stemmed from a report on April 18, 2024, that the subject posted the information system login credentials of two PNP personnel on his Facebook account,” stated Cariaga. “This act compromised the personal information and sensitive PNP records of the affected personnel.”

During the background check and investigation following the serving of the search warrant, authorities discovered that the boy had knowledge about hacking websites for numerous agencies and schools. The same investigation disclosed that the youngster learnt to hack when he was added to a Messenger discussion group with many other hackers.

“The PNP ACG will examine the digital devices seized from the subject to acquire necessary information for filing of charges against him,” Cariaga added.

He stated the boy is still with his parents. The law enforcement official then asked other companies or agencies that have encountered unauthorised access or data breaches in their information systems to notify the nearest PNP ACG office. He stated that quick reporting is critical for allowing immediate action and limiting potential damage.

Prevention tips

Cyber attacks often occur when systems or software are not fully up to date, exposing vulnerabilities. So fraudsters exploit these flaws to gain access to your network. When they break in, it's usually too late to take precautionary measures. To counteract this, consider investing in a patch management system that will manage all software and system updates, ensuring that the system is resilient and up to date. 

There are numerous types of sophisticated data breaches, and new ones emerge every day, even making comebacks. Putting a network behind a firewall is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself against cyber attacks. A firewall system will prevent any brute force attacks on a network and/or systems from causing any damage, which we can assist firms with.

Endpoint protection safeguards networks that are remotely connected to devices. Mobile devices, tablets, and laptops connected to corporate networks provide access points for security concerns. These paths must be safeguarded with appropriate endpoint protection software.

Cybersecurity Crisis Deepens in Phillipines as Hackers Leak State Secrets

 

The security of millions of people is at risk due to the Philippines' lax cybersecurity regulations, which have allowed government websites to be compromised in a recent string of cyberattacks.

According to the South China Morning Post, hackers attacked the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), compromising the data of millions of people, including Filipino employees working overseas. 

The state insurer's reluctance to go with $300,000 triggered the breach. Furthermore, the homepage of the House of Representatives was defaced, highlighting the government's weaknesses in the digital world. 

A hacker going by the moniker DiabloX Phantom claimed that he had gained access to five critical government agencies and downloaded a substantial amount of data. His intention was to expose the vulnerabilities in the government's cybersecurity. 

The hacker gained access to the forensics database held by the Philippine National Police, which contained sensitive case files, and the servers of the Philippine Statistics Authority, which is in charge of issuing national identification cards. 

He also attacked the websites of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), Clark International Airport, and the Department of Science and Technology. 

Among his techniques were using open subdomains, propagating malware via email, making use of weak passwords, and taking advantage of vulnerabilities left by earlier hackers. 

As stated by DiabloX Phantom, he focused on highlighting the government's cybersecurity flaws rather than sell the information he had acquired, reported to the South China Morning Post.

He waited for a government reaction to deal with these problems. Cybersecurity specialists in the Philippines independently confirmed his assertions. Some hackers want to reveal system weaknesses, get fame for their expertise, or just have fun with cyber activities, but there isn't a single person or organisation behind all of the breaches. 

Past violations of cybersecurity

Cybersecurity incidents are not unusual, as evidenced by the recent breaches in the Philippines. 

The personal information of up to 55 million Filipino voters was made public in 2016 by the "Comelec leak". No one was prosecuted or held accountable for this breach, despite its magnitude. 

Vulnerabilities must be fixed immediately, such as weak passwords, poor personnel training, and inadequate monitoring. Taking care of these problems is essential to preserving private information and millions of people's privacy.