Only banking, telecom sectors are ready to combat cyber terrorism, official says

CEBU CITY — Of the 12 potentially vulnerable sectors, only the banking and the telecommunications sectors are prepared to combat cyber terrorism attacks, said Commissioner Angelo Timoteo Diaz de Rivera of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).


Rivera, who spoke at the 2nd ASEAN regional forum-seminar on cyber terrorism, said the banking and the telecommunications sectors have been adopting communications and technology ever since, and "that is why these are very much equipped and versed on Information and Communications Technology".

The 12 critical structures that are vulnerable to cyber terrorism attacks and need to be protected are the banking and finance, telecommunications, health and health care, transportation, religious places of worship, infrastructures, government services, education centers, power and energy generation and distribution, retail trend, manufacturing, and agriculture and food.

However, Rivera said that so much more is needed to be done by other sectors to combat cyber terrorism.

He said there is a need to increase the level of awareness among the structures on the matter and the need to put in place additional security policies including the need to look at medicated and educational ways to address the problem.

He said there is also a need to establish the computer security incident response team, which is only established in the Philippine National Police-now used to capture evidences in cyber crimes.

During the 3-day forum, participants recommended the creation of directory of contact points on key cyber security areas which they hope to complete this month, the establishment of an ASEAN Regional Forum wide Network of computer emergency response teams, collaboration of digital forensics and the mutual and legal assistance in prosecuting cyber terrorist and hackers.

The three-day seminar aims to build and nurture a level of trust and confidence that will enable continued information sharing and related communications long after the seminar is over. The ARF network on the other hand, can be used as an important conduit for the flow of information that can be used in our daily flight against terror and actual cyber-terrorism-induced crisis situations. (Mars Mosqueda Jr. MB)