Senate confirms website hacking

The Senate on Wednesday said it has already gained access to its website after being infiltrated by hackers. 

“We wish to clarify news reports that the Senate website was hacked. The usernames and logs supposedly extracted from the Senate Sharepoint site are merely the names or accounts used for uploading public documents,” Senate spokesperson Arnel Jose Bañas told reporters. 

On Wednesday, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) confirmed that a hacker group named DeathNote Hackers attempted to penetrate the Senate’s cyberspace.

This came after the cybersecurity group Deep Web Konek on Tuesday evening reported that DeathNote Hackers breached the chamber’s information technology system.

“We, therefore, confirm the statement of DICT Assistant Secretary Renato Paraiso that the incident is not cause for alarm,” said Bañas. 

He noted that the Senate already obtained access to documents, such as transcripts of committee hearings, journals of plenary sessions, and other legislative documents, that are intended for public consumption.

Bañas clarified that “no sensitive or confidential data was affected” amid the hacking attempt. 

“In fact, the Senate, upon request, grants access to anyone who wishes to download these documents,” he said. 

“The Senate will continue all efforts to ensure that its website remains secure and protected by robust cybersecurity measures,” he added.