Officials said on Thursday that cyberattacks targeting government websites have become a daily occurrence, with hackers targeting them as a form of exam and graduation as proof of skill.

During the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Assistant Secretary Mary Rose Magsaysay said government websites have a great appeal for hackers in an attempt to breach the country's digital defenses.

"Basta kapag government, yummy – iyan talaga ang pinipilit giyerahin ng bawat ano… Parang iyan ba iyong kanilang exams," Magsaysay said.

"Iyong mga hackers na kapag naha-hack nila ang gobyerno sapagkat… knowingly that the government is supposed to be equipped to be able to protect a nation 'di ba? So talagang… parang iyon na ang parang ano nila, graduation nila. So, talagang inaatake tayo day-in, day-out lahat, encompassing left to right, maski maliliit na LGUs," Magsaysay added.

This continuous barrage of cyberattacks underscores the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals and their evolving strategies.

One significant concern raised during the recent briefing was the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by these criminals.

CICC Highly Technical Consultant Drexx Lagui highlighted the dangers posed by AI in the hands of malicious actors. He noted that the use of AI in cybercrime is not a future threat but a present reality.

Lagui elaborated on how AI is being utilized by criminals to exploit legal systems and other vulnerabilities.

"Ginagamit na po (ang AI) ngayon. For example, iyong nabanggit mo kanina, nagkaroon ng deepfake versus sa presidente natin – iyong audio and video niya napakaganda at akala mo talaga ay presidente natin iyong nagsasalita, nag-uutos ng giyera," Lagui said.

Several prominent websites in the Philippines have been hacked in recent months, including those of the House of Representatives and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Lagui also pointed out other nefarious uses of AI, including money laundering, document forgery, phishing, and malware creation.

AI can even be instructed to reverse-engineer patches from software updates to exploit vulnerabilities before users apply these updates.

"Kung mahuli man sila, ano iyong kanilang puwedeng gawing legal tactic para hindi sila mapako sa korte. Isa iyon sa mga pwede nilang gawin," he said, referring to hackers' use of AI.