The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday vowed not to let their guard down as it pursues the perpetrators of the ransomware attack on its website, which caused service systems to go offline.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said the department was collaborating with the government’s cybersecurity and law enforcement agencies to apprehend those accountable for last Tuesday’s incident.
“Kasi gusto naming habulin itong mga nag-hack, we want justice in terms of what happened to us kahit na hindi naapektuhan ‘yung OFW database kasi gusto naming mahinto ito,” said Cacdac.
(We just want to pursue the hackers, we want justice in terms of what happened to us even if the OFW database was unaffected because we want to put a stop to this.)
WATCH: Migrant Workers Department Pursuing Culprits of DMW Website Ransomware Attack @gmanews pic.twitter.com/7pTtw9hCLC
— JP Soriano (@jpsoriano) July 18, 2024
While the attack did not impact the databases containing data of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), it led to the temporary shutdown of the website, affecting some online services including the “Balik Manggagawa Electronic Processing” and the New Hire Processing online services.
All of the DMW website systems are now back online.
Cacdac said, “Ang naapektuhan ay ‘yung at the level of our system administrators and their potential access to the system. So bago pa man nangyari ‘yung pumasok pa further [ang hackers], naagapan.”
(The impact was at the level of our system administrators and their potential access to the system. So before the hackers could penetrate our systems any further, we were able to stop them.)
Cacdac expressed gratitude to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for the latter’s prompt and decisive response, stating that it was a great relief that the attack did not compromise the DMW system, and that the preemptive shutdown of some online services facilitated the eventual restoration.
Last Tuesday, the DMW said it had to “take preemptive measures to protect OFW data and information” amid the ransomware attack, including taking the department’s systems offline.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) and airport authorities were tapped to assist the DMW for the smooth departure of OFWs. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Be the first to comment