THE National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) yesterday belied reports on social media that its data has been compromised due to hacking.
“That is not true. No data were stolen from us,” NICA Director General Ricardo de Leon said in a radio interview, disputing information recently spread on Facebook by “Deep Web Konek.”
The group posted the message titled “#CyberThreat: Database of The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency is on Sale” last week and claimed that some 500 megabytes of documents, containing “confidential and secret information,” were stolen from the NICA based on information posted on a hacker forum last March.
It said the documents are being sold for $500 XMR (Monero cryptocurrency) or around P4.39 million.
The documents allegedly include activities of intelligence units of the Air Force; visits of military attaches and representatives from the US, Israel, Australia, Vietnam and other countries; the establishment of a national cybersecurity center; military exercises; the visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; the activities of a Chinese organization called United Front Work Department; and visits of ambassadors from Asia-Pacific region.
“We had that investigated, the alleged breach or hacking of NICA (data),” said De Leon. “That (hacking) didn’t happen.
“The main data center of NICA is detached from external lines, meaning it’s only us (who can access it). It can’t be hacked because it’s under our control,” said De Leon.
De Leon added it’s also impossible that NICA documents would be leaked by a staff.
“That won’t happen because they are secured,” he said, referring to the thorough vetting of NICA personnel.
De Leon said the specific reports mentioned in the message are not the concern of NICA, adding the logo of the agency was used to make it appear the supposed documents came from the agency.
