Philippines reports foreign cyber intrusions targeting intelligence data but no breaches

MANILA - The Philippines has detected foreign attempts to access intelligence data, but its cyber minister said on Tuesday no breaches have been recorded so far.

Attempts to steal data are wide-ranging, said minister for information and communications Ivan Uy. Advanced Persistent Threats or APTs have repeatedly attempted but failed to infiltrate government systems, suggesting the countrys cyber-defences have held firm.

APTs are a general term for cyber actors or groups, often state-backed, that engage in malicious cyber activities.

These have been present for quite some time, and threats come from many actors, but a big majority of them are foreign, Uy told Reuters.

Some of these threats, which Uy referred to as sleepers had been been embedded in systems before being exposed by governments cyber security efforts.

Why are these things operating in those systems, without even anybody calling it out?, he said.

So far, the government has not seen any cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, he said.

Hopefully its because our cyber defences and cyber security are strong enough, he added.

Uy acknowledged the difficulty of attributing cyber intrusions to specific attackers, as they sometimes leave misleading digital traces.

However, the government is working through diplomatic channels and sharing intelligence with the military, including with other countries, to validate threats and strengthen defences, he said.

Last year, the Philippine said it thwarted attempts by hackers operating in China to break into websites and e-mail systems of the Philippine president and government agencies, including one promoting maritime security.

Uy described the escalating cyber threats as part of a global arms race, where nations and criminal organizations exploit digital vulnerabilities for financial or strategic gain.

World War III is happening and it is cyber, Uy said. These weapons are non-kinetic. They are cyber, digital, virtual, but its happening, but the attacks