DOJ website hacked: NBI is now on the hunt

A felon is a felon, whether it be against a private individual or the government!

YEZ! Last thursday, Jan. 3rd, some felons greeted DOJ with a big surprise for the New Year. For a few hours, visitors of the Department of Justice’s website saw Wizard of Enchanted Kingdom, instead of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

 There was no major disruptions in the operations of DoJ, but the incident remains to be a great mockery and an on-the-face insult to the department. If hackers can access even the government department’s websites, how much more private individual’s websites.This poses as a warning to different business establishments as well who uses the internet as a means of a selling point or keeps record or uses the worldwideweb as a means of communication. Important files on the net may no longer be safe and we all have to be cautious.

The DoJ website was hosted by PLDT, who has promised to investigate the event as well. As of now, the NBI is also conducting their own probing and hunt for who is liable for the hacking. Note that hacking is punishable under Republic Act No. 8792 or the E-commerce Law. As Sec. 33 of the said law provides:

“SEC. 33. Penalties. – The following Acts shall be penalized by fine and/or imprisonment, as follows:

(a) Hacking or cracking which refers to unauthorized access into or interference in a computer system/server or information and communication system; or any access in order to corrupt, alter, steal, or destroy using a computer or other similar information and communication devices, without the knowledge and consent of the owner of the computer or information and communications system, including the introduction of computer viruses and the like, resulting in the corruption,destruction, alteration, theft or loss of electronic data messages or electronic document shall be punished by a minimum fine of one hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) and a maximum commensurate to the damage incurred and a mandatory imprisonment of six (6) months to three (3) years;…”

Add comment January 4th, 2008