The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) recently suffered a serious breach when its official Facebook page was targeted by a cyber attack, which bombarded the platform with explicit content in the form of nude photos (via CNN Philippines).
This development triggered an immediate response from authorities, with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) commencing a thorough investigation into the hacking incident.
PCSO Facebook Page Hacked, Posts Nude Photos
Confirming the incident, Alexander Ramos, the executive director of the Department of Information and Communications Technology - Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (DICT-CICC), underscored the gravity of the situation.
Ramos affirmed the emergence of inappropriate content on the PCSO's Facebook page, signaling a potential malicious assault on the integrity of the organization's online presence.
"There are nudities that have been posted on (PCSO's) Facebook. So it's probably a form of attack that we know if we can address it yet, but we sent people already to ensure the investigation would be properly conducted [Translated from Filipino]," Ramos stated.
In response to the alarming breach, the PCSO took immediate action, temporarily deactivating its official Facebook page. The discovery of these inappropriate activities prompted the decision, signaling the urgency to delve deeper into the matter.
Read Also: AI Systems Are More Prone to Malicious Attacks Than Previously Believed, Study Finds
In an official advisory posted on the PCSO's website, the organization clarified, "This is to inform the public that the official Facebook page of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has been voluntarily and temporarily deactivated. PCSO has discovered inappropriate activities that require scrutiny and further investigation."
During the investigative process, the PCSO also reassured the public of its commitment to maintaining transparency and providing accurate information by redirecting communications to its PCSO Games Online Hub Facebook page.
The gravity of this cyber attack has prompted concerted efforts from governmental bodies. DICT Assistant Secretary Aboy Paraiso reiterated ongoing coordination with the PCSO in addressing this alarming breach.
More Government Facebook Pages Targeted
This alarming breach is not isolated. Similar instances have rocked governmental entities before, emphasizing a disturbing trend in cyber threats targeting official pages.
The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) previously encountered a parallel cyber attack, where lewd photos surfaced on its Facebook page, attributed to malware aiming to tarnish the agency's reputation (via Inquirer.net).
KWF Director General Marites Barrios-Taran explained the situation at the time, acknowledging the cyber assault as an attempt to besmirch their name.
"KWF has been a victim of a cyber attack, specifically malware that is suspected of having entered the system to defame the name of the KWF by posting pictures that should not be found on the page and are not related to the official work of our office," Barrios-Taran conveyed.
Stay posted here at Tech Times.
Related Article: Chinese Cybercriminals Launch SugarGh0st RAT Campaign to Attack South Korea, Uzbekistan
