Breach, Threat Management, Data Security, Threat Management

Man arrested in data breach that exposed 55M Filipino voters

Filipino authorities Thursday confirmed the arrest one of three people believed to be responsible for breaching the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) website and the leaking the records of 55 million voters.

Authorities said they arrested the 23-year old suspect after weeks of surveillance efforts by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), COMELEC, and other government agencies, according to The Manila Bulletin

NBI Director Virgilio Mendez told the publication the alleged hacker admitted the breach was intended to reveal the vulnerabilities of the website. Officials are examining the suspect's computer with hopes to releases a full report by Thursday or Friday, he said.

On March 28, the Comelec website was defaced and its database leaked online, exposing millions of records that some believe included passport data, fingerprints, and other crucial information, although COMELEC officials claimed the leak didn't contain sensitive information. 

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