SINGAPORE – Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy said that the ability to defend a country’s cyber infrastructure requires good intel, which the Philippines currently lacks.
Having the right people with the right skillset and tools is important in identifying where a threat is coming from, the DICT chief told PhilSTAR Tech in an exclusive interview during the Singapore International Cyberweek 2024 (SICW 2024).
“But we have zero intel files, zero confidential funds to do so. So, how do you pay for the intelligence you need?” Uy lamented.
Last year, the DICT’s proposed 300 million confidential fund for 2024 was denied by the House of Representatives. This allocation was realigned to strengthen efforts of asserting territorial rights over the West Philippine Sea.
Moreover, Uy said that one of their biggest challenges is having to convince legislators about the country’s increasing demand for a more robust cybersecurity posture.
“It’s very difficult to convince legislators to provide us with the necessary funding. They’re so averse with the word ‘confidential,’” the DICT chief lamented.
The controversy over confidential funds erupted last year after lawmakers questioned Vice President Sara Duterte’s spending of her office’s confidential funds, which brought forth suspicion of mismanagement.
After that, DICT was among the other agencies that were denied of receiving secret appropriations. As what the name already suggests, confidential funds are needed by government agencies for their activities such as gathering intelligence information and surveillance.
On one hand, Uy said that they have received a lot of verbal encouragement, but they often end up facing a “black wall” when it comes to being provided with the resources.
“I think things have to change in this area,” he added.
Furthermore, the DICT chief reported that the country has been increasing its cyber hygiene by improving cyber awareness.
This can be seen in the results of the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index, where the Philippines moved up to 53rd from 60th after having improved its cybersecurity awareness efforts.
“But we have to make this sustainable and to make this even more impactful, we definitely need resources,” Uy said.
The DICT chief recently sat as one of the panelists in the SICW 2024’s high-level panel discussion on tech industry regulation.
The SICW is an annual event that gathers experts from all over the world to discuss cybersecurity challenges, digital opportunities, cyber threats, and to find ways on how countries can collaborate in addressing these.
