PH privacy watchdog probing alleged data breaches in gov't agencies

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) is investigating reports of alleged data breaches involving government agencies and has not received any personal data breach notifications as of Friday, Nov. 6.

NPC spokesperson and Deputy Privacy Commissioner Jose Belarmino II said the commission is coordinating with concerned agencies to determine whether personal information was compromised, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.

The report said the alleged breach surfaced after a threat actor claimed to have obtained personnel, payroll and attendance records linked to the Department of Transportation's Human Resource Information System. The data allegedly covered about 4,534 employees and included payroll records, attendance logs and biometric information.

PNA also reported that a group calling itself DeathNoteHackers claimed to possess data allegedly associated with the Philippine Coast Guard, including personnel information, rescue records, images and location data.

The alleged leaks were documented by cybersecurity advocacy group Deep Web Konek, although the claims have not been independently verified and no government agency has confirmed that the information originated from its systems.

Belarmino said reports of alleged data leaks do not automatically mean a personal data breach has occurred or that the Data Privacy Act has been violated.

The NPC said it would assess the circumstances surrounding the incidents and require concerned agencies to submit reports if warranted.

Under NPC rules, personal information controllers must notify both the commission and affected individuals within 72 hours of discovering a notifiable data breach.

The commission will continue monitoring the reported incidents and take appropriate regulatory action when necessary, PNA reported. Paraluman News with a report of Raymond Carl Dela Cruz/Philippine News Agency