NOT 'PWNED': AFP cyber command debunks reports Army, Navy got hacked

The Cyber Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday debunked information published by a group online that the military’s major services have suffered from data breach and hacking. 

In a phone interview, AFP Cyber Command chief Col. Joey Fontiveros assured that the military’s cyberspace remains intact pending the investigation of the alleged data breach. 

“We're still in the process of determining how true is that. Because, as of this moment, we are functioning and all services are available to us. No functions are affected. We are now in the process of checking the accuracy of the report,” Fontiveros said.

Two days ago, a self-confessed hacker group, Philippines Exodus Security (PHEDS), announced it had successfully executed a cybersecurity breach of the Philippine Army and the Department of National Defense (DND), compromising the official account of 10 army officials. 

The hacking group also claimed that it had secured highly confidential documents from the Philippine Army and the DND, including 300 gigabytes (GB) of classified and sensitive data from the Army’s cybersecurity battalion.  

The PHEDS likewise owned up to the hacking of the Philippine Navy’s mailing account, citing the military’s use of “weak passwords.”

The hacking group claimed it had acquired 15GB of confidential documents from the Navy’s cybersecurity site, spanning from 2020 to 2025

The stolen data allegedly includes highly sensitive intelligence on Navy officials and personnel, with over 1,000 high-value individuals fully exposed.

As of this present, the PHEDS’ official account is no longer searchable on Facebook.

Army: Attack, not hacking 

Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said they have already identified the group behind the cyber attack and are “currently conducting counter-measures to prevent such cybersecurity incidents in the future.”

“The Philippine Army has detected and acknowledged the illegal access attempt of a certain group to breach the PA network… To give context, what happened was illegal access, not hacking as per our cyber unit,” Dema-ala told the DAILY TRIBUNE in a Viber message. 

Dema-ala assured that there were no compromised documents or confidential data from this illegal access. 

“Moving forward, the PA continues to strengthen its cyber defense capabilities through the PA Cyber Security Enhancement Program which is a key component of our modernization thrust,” he added. 

In-depth probe launched

For his part, Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said they have already launched an in-depth investigation into the allegations of a data breach.

“The Philippine Navy has initiated a detailed investigation regarding the data breach claims and has taken necessary measures to ensure the integrity of our systems,” he said in a separate Viber message.

Alcos cited the importance of cooperation between the citizens and the military to maintain national stability. 

“Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and the Philippine Navy encourages the public to work with us and contribute constructively to safeguarding the nation’s security. The Philippine Navy remains committed to strengthening our cybersecurity defenses and addressing any potential threats to national security,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Fontiveros cautioned that those pages would be held responsible if the information they shared on social media is found to be false.

“Of course, everything that is not in accordance with the law is punishable by law. And if ever they are caught, they are going to answer the relevant laws or regulations applicable to the incident,” he said.

Fontiveros stressed the AFP cyber command is capable of countering hacking and system attacks. 

“Despite the claim, we are functioning, our cyberspace is functioning,” he said. 

Moreover, Fontiveros recalled similar hacking attempt had happened in the past, wherein a group falsely claimed to have access to the Philippine Army's Scout Ranger database.  

“A group claimed that they have the database of the Scout Ranger, but then, they were able to show some of the pages of the Scout Ranger history. If you are not technical, you will not understand that what they got are just dump files that were results of the internet testing of a particular system,” he explained. 

“We developed a system then we are trying to test on the internet if it is working. The system developers were not able to erase the dump files, their footprints, that were on the internet because anybody could get them.  So, once somebody gets that, just like what happened, they claimed that they hacked the army,” he added.