The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has asked the corporate sector to strengthen their cybersecurity and data privacy protection amid the new coronavirus health crisis.
It advised corporations to report cybersecurity incidents in their systems to the DICT’s Cybersecurity Bureau, which continues to handle and respond to cyber threats and incidents during the community quarantine..
DICT said it supports efforts of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to encourage corporations to assess their exposure to cybersecurity risks and craft appropriate policies and measures to address these.
The DICT is also offering its Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) services, particularly the issuance of digital certificates, as a support to the private sector.
Digital certificates ensure confidentiality, authenticity, integrity and non-repudiation of electronic transactions and documents. This adds another layer of protection to digital transactions among its users.
In a letter to Emilio Aquino, SEC chair, the DICT has offered free PNPKI services to the chairman, the commissioners and other key personnel of the SEC. These services will allow them to exchange private data in a secure manner, such as in the issuance of notices, orders and decisions as well as in the conduct of internal administration.
DICT also said it conducts vulnerability assessment and penetration testing services for its clients through its Cybersecurity Bureau.