Sen. Risa Hontiveros alangan sa NICA -NGCP anti-cyber attack deal

By Jan Escosio March 15, 2023 - 11:42 AM

SENATE PRIB PHOTO

Nagpahayag ng kanhyang pag-aalinlangan si Senator Risa Hontiveros sa memorandum of understanding ng National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) at  National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), na layong iwasan ang cyberattacks sa power grid ng bansa.

Paniwala ni kakaunti lang  ang magagawa nito upang mabawasan ang mga panganib sa kaligtasan at seguridad ng bansa.

“While I agree that the NGCP-NICA deal ‘was a good step in answering the challenge’ of cybersecurity in the country’s power system, there are critical strategic issues that urgently need further clarity. During the last Congress, questions and doubts about national security relating to power grid operations were extensively discussed up to the level of executive sessions in the Senate,” ani Hontiveros.

Dapat aniya malinawan muna kung naibalik na sa gobyerno “full control” ng operasyon ng national grid system, na 40 porsiyento ay pag-aari ng State Grid Corporation ng China.

“I stand by my assertion that our power grid will continue to be a target of cyber and other threats from China and other foreign countries for as long as it is not fully managed and secured by our very own government. I would like to know if the current government has assumed full control over the national grid,” sabi ni Hontiveros.

Dagdag pa ng Senador, mawawalan ng saysay ang pagtatatagtag ng matibay na firewall upang salagin ang mga pag-atake mula sa labas, kung nasa loob mismo ng “istruktura ng mga operasyon” ng grid ang tunay na banta.

“Paano mo po-protektahan mula sa outside attacks kung yung banta ay nasa loob mismo? The fact that China has control over the NGCP continues to worry me. Walang kwenta ang firewall kung ang Great Wall ay nandito na. When our power grid operator is owned by a foreign entity, whether in whole or in part, it will be more difficult for the government to defend it from cyber attacks,” ani Hontiveros.

Dagdag pa ni Hontiveros: “China and the Philippines have unresolved conflicts over the West Philippine Sea. The last thing we need is a cyber attack from within—which may possibly be launched from the China headquarters of this state-owned company.”

TAGS: cyber attack, ngcp, nica, power grid, cyber attack, ngcp, nica, power grid

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