By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Alarmed by possible online security breach, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday (27 Feb 2024) said it has consulted with the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group to trace the culprit of the hacking of its Facebook page.
The PCG disclosed that on Monday night (26 February 2024), the PCG’s Facebook page started to post malicious videos after an “unknown entity” gained access to the account.
“After initial consultation with the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group, the CGPAS (Coast Guard Public Affairs) considers the possibility of online security breach through malware (malicious software),” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said.
The PCG official said the unknown entity did not leave any digital trace on the official email address and the mobile phone used to establish a security key as an additional layer of online security protection.
Balilo added that the CGPAS already coordinated with Meta and provided the needed details to regain access to the page.
“The CGPAS is also set to meet with Coast Guard Weapons, Communications, Electronics, and Information System Command (CGWEIS) to conduct backend operations for page recovery,” he said.
The PCG Facebook page has yet to be recovered as of posting time.
(el Amigo/MNM)
