PNP: Cybercrimes down by 57%

MANILA, Philippines —  Cybercrimes in the Philippines decreased by at least 57 percent, which the police attributed to the implementation in late 2022 of Republic Act 11934 or the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act.

From August to December last year, 6,385 cybercrimes were documented, which is lower than the 14,893 cases recorded from January to July 2023.

This figure is equivalent to a 57.12 percent decrease, according to the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The majority of cybercrimes committed are online scams.

ACG director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia said the decline in cybercrimes represents a direct outcome of the deactivation process for unregistered SIM cards initiated on July 26, 2023.

The law mandates the registration of prepaid and postpaid SIM cards for all mobile device users.

The PNP last year instructed its personnel to register their SIM cards to set an example to the public.

Meanwhile, Russian multinational cybersecurity firm Kaspersky predicted that cyber hacking attacks targeting children could be an issue this year.

Parents who allow children to use smartphones and other gadgets and access the internet should stay informed of the latest cybersecurity threats, according to Kaspersky Threat Research Team lead web content analyst Andrey Sidenko.

Developments in artificial intelligence technology, he said, are being leveraged by cyber criminals in nefarious activities. - Rainier Allan Ronda