“China’s cyberwarfare and disinformation campaigns will be one of the biggest threats to our national security and our democracy,” she added. (Photo from Inquirer) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] MANILA— Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday warned of a possible increase in Chinese “cyberespionage attacks” against the Philippines, which she said can be used to influence the country’s national elections in 2022, PH Inquirer reported. "I will no longer be surprised if China will intervene in our elections. It’s clear that they will do everything in their power to claim our territory and rights in the West Philippine Sea, including supporting a leader who will not oppose them," Hontiveros said in a statement.
“China’s cyberwarfare and disinformation campaigns will be one of the biggest threats to our national security and our democracy,” she added. Hontiveros cited the report of cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, which detected a “rare, wide-scale advanced persistent threat” by a “Chinese-speaking threat actor” against users in Southeast Asia, most notably in the Philippines and Myanmar. The firm said it identified some 1,400 users in the Philippines, including government entities, who have fallen victim to spear-phishing emails containing a “malicious” Word document.
“While initially focusing their attention on Myanmar, the attackers have since shifted their focus to the Philippines,” Kaspersky earlier said. Hontiveros urged the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to immediately look into Kaspersky’s report immediately.