THE INITIAL STAGES of the National Cyber Intelligence Platform (NICP) are expected to be launched this January, according to an advisor of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
DICT cyber security on enabling technologies advisor Karla S. Cruz said on Thursday that the initial phase targets 10 government agencies that meet an initial digital readiness assessment.
“We cannot prevent threats. The goal of the NCIP is to be able to monitor both internal and external threats. But internal threats, we would really have to start within the government first, so within the first three months as the department is setting up the NCIP, the goal is to put together 10 of the priority agencies that we have identified,” Ms. Cruz said in a phone interview.
The 10 agencies are the Office of the President, Department of Finance, Department of Energy, Department of Foreign Affairs, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, DICT, National Security Council, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Transportation, and Presidential Communications Operations Office.
“This can change depending on the readiness of this agencies if they have a network security in place,” Ms. Cruz clarified.
Ms. Cruz noted that the country lacks highly skilled technology professionals, and the DICT is now working with the academe to provide people with skills to combat threats.
Ms. Cruz cited the Bangladesh bank cyber heist as an example, which affected the banking industry and the country as well.
“How they entered, how they attacked, was cyber, but the basic infrastructure of the country was affected, so when you look at that, it is not one country attacking one country as well. They are really stateless,” Ms. Cruz said.
She explained that the NCIP will help improve response time, and build defenses using gathered data even before an attack is felt with full force.
The NCIP, which is a centralized monitoring system, will be headed by DICT Assistant Secretary Allan S. Cabanlong.
“The government must strengthen policy, come up with comprehensive plans, and monitor implementation to build internal resilience, allowing us to become better allies, ensuring cooperation in cyberspace,” Mr. Cabanlong said in a statement.
The NCIP aims to build resilience for the country in the next five years, Ms. Cruz said, which includes being implemented in the national elections.
The NCIP is part of the Philippines National Cybersecurity Plan 2022. According to DICT, the plan’s primary goals are to assure continuous operations of the country’s critical infrastructures, public and military networks; implementing cyber resiliency measures to enhance ability to respond to threats before, during and after attacks; effective coordination with law enforcement agencies; and to build a cybersecurity educated community. — R.J.N. Ignacio

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