Cyber attacks possible amid talks on easing telco restrictions

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has warned that foreign invasions may be caused by cyber attacks in the digital age.

The warning came amid talks on the passage of a law that eases telco regulations and restrictions.

AFP chief of staff General Romeo Brawner made the remark during the ADR Stratbase Pilipinas Conference 2024, where he noted that dealing with cyber threats is challenging as they are hard to detect and can erode public trust as the agency shifts beyond traditional battlefields to protect the country from harm.

"Today's security landscape is very different from what it was just a few decades ago. While traditional territorial defense remains vital, we are now dealing with adversaries that operate in domains far removed from physical confrontation," Brawner said.

One aspect that cyber security experts and other stakeholders are pointing toward when it comes to threats to the Philippine cyberspace is the passage of Senate Bill 2699, or the Konektadong Pinoy Act.

According to consumer advocacy network CitizenWatch Philippines, SB2699, if passed, will eliminate the need for a congressional franchise for telecommunication companies, which "diminishes" the regulatory powers of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) into mere oversight.

The bill will also strip the NTC of its oversight functions and reduce it to a mere registrar, which could be detrimental to consumers and the country's telco space as a whole, CitizenWatch added.

“A worse, more alarming scenario could also emerge. These may open opportunities for cybercrime syndicates to infiltrate and cause harm to our individual and enterprise consumers in both the government and private sectors,” CitizenWatch lead convenor Orlando Oxales said.

According to cyber intelligence company CYFIRMA, the Philippines is a prime target for cyber espionage activities due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness and underdeveloped cybersecurity infrastructure, especially with the rising tension in the region.

Intelligent global network Cloudflare recorded an average of five billion cyberattacks per day in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 28% compared to the prior quarter.

The Konektadong Pinoy Act is currently lodged at the Senate and awaits further deliberations and actions.