Threat Management, Vulnerability Management

‘Bored’ Filipino IT experts to be hired as white-hat hackers

In order to better improve and ensure cyber-security of government websites, Philippine senator Ralph Recto plans to recruit “bored” Filipino hackers to serve as “cyber-commandos”.

Recto, who sponsored the bill on forming of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), issued the appeal following the arrest of the 23-year-old IT graduate, Paul Biteng, who was responsible for taking down the website of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Biteng, now under custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), reportedly admitted to the crime and claimed he did it out of boredom.

“Instead of wasting their talents, these talented Filipino internet experts should be employed by the executive department as white hat hackers to protect us from real cyber-criminals,” Recto said.

Recto suggested that the government could organise hack fests to determine the weakness of government sites. He also said the DICT law that mandates the formation of a “Cyber-crime Investigation and Coordination Centre” will also be ordered to create the National Cyber-security Plan and form the National Computer Emergency Response Team to be composed of “cyber-commandos”. 

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