THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is expecting to see increased cyberattacks this year as threat actors are expected to take advantage of emerging technologies ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
“This year is an election year for the Philippines. Last year was an election year for the US, and these tools were utilized. We would expect no less here, those tools would also be utilized,” Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John E. Uy said in a forum on Wednesday.
Mr. Uy said that the sophistication of deepfake and artificial intelligence makes it difficult for the public to discern misinformation.
He said the DICT is now in collaboration with many organizations to combat these kinds of threats that are also meant to misdirect the public.
Last year, the global cybersecurity company Kaspersky urged Filipinos to step up cybersecurity measures and digital privacy ahead of the 2025 midterm elections due to projected increase in cyberattacks.
According to Kaspersky, risks of cyberattacks such as phishing, misinformation campaigns, and hacking attempts usually increase during campaign periods, noting cyber attackers will attempt to send fraudulent e-mails or messages disguised as campaign materials to try and infiltrate devices, and install malware.
Attackers are also seen taking advantage of social media platforms to collect personal data that can be later used and exploited for targeted breaches.
Further, Mr. Uy also urged the public to be on alert against the use of international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers. These IMSI catchers are commonly used in text scams and threats, as they mimic cell towers. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
