NEWS

Marcos orders adoption of nat’l cybersecurity plan

Lade Jean Kabagani · Apr 6, 2024, 5:54 PM

Hackers began the attacks last year and an investigation was underway to determine if the perpetrators were based in China, Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology told in a congressional hearing. — (Photo from Unsplash)

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the adoption and implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028 to strengthen the security and resilience of Philippine cyberspace.

Marcos signed a two-page Executive Order (EO) 58 on 4 April to "strengthen the security and resilience of the Philippine cyberspace."

Under the EO 58, the NCSP 2023-2028 crafted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will serve as a "whole-of-nation roadmap for the integrated development and strategic direction of the country's cybersecurity."

EO 58 mandates all national government agencies and instrumentalities to formulate, adopt, and implement their cybersecurity plans and strategies that are relevant to their respective mandates, in accordance with the NCSP 2023-2028.

Local government units (LGUs) are encouraged to do the same.

Marcos' order also mandates the DICT to adopt a system for the effective implementation, monitoring, and review of the NCSP 2023-2028, subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations.

EO 58 also orders the DICT to cooperate with the private sector in providing the necessary technical assistance to other government agencies and offices for the implementation of the NCSP 2023-2028.

The DICT must submit to the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary and the National Cybersecurity Inter-Agency Committee, a bi-annual report on the status and progress of the implementation of the NCSP 2023-2028.

Under Section 15 of Republic Act 10844, the DICT formulated the NCSP 2023-2028, "which outlines the country's policy direction and provides operational guidelines towards a trusted, secured, and resilient cyberspace for every Filipino."

The budget needed for the implementation of EO 58 will be charged against current and available appropriations of concerned agencies, subject to pertinent budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws, rules, and regulations.

The funding requirements necessary for the continued implementation of the order will be included in the General Appropriations Act, subject to the usual budget preparation process.

The strengthening of security and resilience of the country's cyberspace is one of the key strategies to ensure safety and security in cyber and physical spaces under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

The copy of EO 58 was released on Saturday, and it takes effect immediately upon the document’s publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.