Stop taunting hackers in ‘arms race’, advices IT expert

MANILA, Philippines—The government should not engage hackers in an “arms race” by announcing it is boosting its website security, an Information Technology expert Jerry Liao told Radyo Inquirer 990AM Friday.

At least six websites, including those of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the Philippine Anti-Piracy Team, were defaced by hactivists protesting the new anti-cybercrime law.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Thursday that the Department of Science and Technology would work to improve the security of government websites.

“Alam mo mga ganyang salita, panghahamon iyan sa tech industry,” Liao said.

He said that in the IT industry, if a company boasts of a strong security, hackers see it as a challenge to break it.

Liao said there has to be a standard of security for government websites.

“I am not sure if we have one now,” he said.