DND denies data breach on system

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday denied that its system had suffered a data breach.

In a statement, Defense spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said no data breach occurred and that the DND’s systems had not been compromised.

“Contrary to a recent news report, the Department of National Defense has not monitored any data breach over the weekend, and its systems remain secure and fully functional,” Andolong said.

Andolong also noted that the DND, along with its bureaus, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), “continues to implement its cybersecurity measures to prevent attempts by malign actors to illegally access our ICT systems and infrastructure.”

Over the weekend, a confessed hacker group, Philippines Exodus Security (PHEDS), announced that it had successfully executed a cybersecurity breach of the Philippine Army and the DND, compromising the official accounts of 10 Army officials.

The hacking group also claimed to have 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.

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

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

It further alleged that it had stolen highly sensitive intelligence on Navy officials and personnel, exposing over 1,000 high-value individuals.

As of now, PHEDS’ official account is no longer searchable on Facebook.