Massive Data Breach :"Exposes Personal Information of Over 1.2 Million Philippine Police Records and Law Enforcement Officials"

A cyber-security researcher has reported a data breach involving more than 1.2 million police records and 800 gigabytes of information on people who work or applied for employment in law enforcement in the Philippines. In a report posted on vpnMentor, the researcher said the authorities should investigate the breach and find out who is responsible.

INFORMATION

The breach has exposed personal information belonging to police and law enforcement officials, which can be dangerous. Affected individuals could become potential victims of identity theft, phishing attacks, and other malicious activities. The breach reportedly exposed highly sensitive information such as passports, birth and marriage certificates, academic transcripts, and security clearance documents.

The availability of government records in an unsecured database raises concerns about a potential national security issue, according to the researcher. Letters addressed to police officers that may be confidential were also available on the database. The breach reportedly occurred due to weaknesses in human behavior and technology.

The cyber-security expert has sent more than 15 notices about the data breach to several government agencies. Only the Philippine National Computer Emergency Response Team responded, saying it would look into the issue. The breach has raised concerns about a potential national security issue, and a comprehensive forensic audit on the exposed data is necessary.

Web attacks targeting entities in the Philippines rose to 492,567 in 2022 from 382,940 a year earlier, according to a report by global cyber-security firm Kaspersky. The report attributed this to the weaknesses in human and technical errors.

In a report by virtual private network service provider Surfshark, the Philippines ranked 23rd out of 250 countries most affected by data breaches, with a total of 523,684 leaked accounts in Q3 of 2022. The country also ranked third worldwide in ransomware payments in 2021, with local organizations spending an average of P1.6 million, according to cyber-security firm Sophos.

Unauthorized withdrawals and transfers reached more than P1 billion in 2021 due to an uptick in cyber-crime incidents amid a coronavirus pandemic. Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. has said he would prioritize enhancing the Philippine police’s capabilities against cyber-crime. The National Privacy Commission has also pledged to work with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center to develop countermeasures against cyber-crime and data breaches.

conclusion

the breach of more than 1.2 million police records and sensitive information in the Philippines is a major concern. The incident has exposed weaknesses in human behavior and technology and emphasizes the need for better cyber-security measures and countermeasures.