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DICT says confidential funds meant for national firewall, expert training

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News file photo" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/business/01/12/20200924-laptop-online-learning-gc-8968.jpg"/><figcaption><em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News file photo</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Information and Communications Technology said it would have used its confidential funds to put up a firewall and to train cybersecurity experts.</p><p>A House panel has <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/10/23/house-panel-moves-some-confidential-funds-to-publicly-auditable-items">reallocated </a>the P300 million in confidential funds in the DICT’s proposed budget to intelligence agencies. DICT will retain P25 million from the allocation for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses.</p><p>Speaking on ANC’s &quot;Headstart&quot; on Tuesday, DICT spokesperson Renato Paraiso said the department needed to be able to procure equipment and services without publishing the details as required by public procurement law.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2846266" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>He said the terms of reference and other bidding documents &quot;would be subject to the scrutiny of whoever would want to counter that particular defense.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/10/16/23/tighter-cybersecurity-urged-after-attacks-on-govt">Tighter cybersecurity urged after attacks on gov&#x27;t</a></li></ul><p>A 2015 government memo limits confidential expenses to those &quot;pertaining/related to surveillance activities in civilian government ·. agencies that are intended to support the mandate or operations of the agency.&quot;</p><p>Philippine government agencies, including the PhilHealth Insurance Corp., the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Statistics Authority and the House of Representatives, have reported cyberattacks and breaches in recent weeks.</p><div><strong>Philippine firewall?</strong></div><p>Paraiso said that the DICT has proposed the creation of an &quot;an initial firewall that would sort of filter the traffic coming to the Philippines to prevent foreign threat actors.&quot;</p><p>A firewall is meant to regulate access to a protected system. In some countries — as in China — these systems can also be used to restrict access to information.</p><p>Paraiso pointed out that cybersecurity threats are not just local — the Medusa attack on PhilHealth originated abroad —and that the Philippines needs to protect itself from foreign attack as well.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/09/23/dict-finding-culprits-in-philhealth-breach-difficult">Finding culprits in PhilHealth breach difficult: DICT chief</a></li></ul><p>Beyond the Philippine firewall, &quot;the individual government agencies would have their individual systems to address local threats.&quot;</p><p>The DICT spokesperson said over the weekend that the primary responsibility for the procurement and maintenance of systems is on individual government agencies.</p><p>Paraiso said Tuesday that the confidential funds would have been for &quot;a Whole-of-Nation approach when it comes to this problem.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/14/23/ph-cybersecurity-a-priority-for-us-as-bpos-handle-wall-st-back-office-embassy">PH cybersecurity a priority for US as BPOs handle Wall St back office: embassy</a></li></ul>

The DICT has proposed the creation of an 'an initial firewall [to] filter the traffic coming to the Philippines to prevent foreign threat actors.'