No security lapses in Konektadong Pinoy – experts

MANILA, Philippines — Konektadong Pinoy will improve the cybersecurity standards of Philippine telco, contrary to claims made by the country’s largest providers, according to data privacy experts.

The Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PH-CERT) and the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP) have urged President Marcos to sign the Konektadong Pinoy Act into law.

PH-CERT president Angel Averia said the measure would create cybersecurity standards that all data transmission industry participants (DTIPs) have to abide by.

In particular, the Konektadong Pinoy Act requires DTIPs to either obtain third-party certification or comply with security standards issued by the Department of Information and Communications Technology. These requirements have to be secured in two years, or they will be penalized.

“A critical reading of Konektadong Pinoy would reveal that concerns and issues raised by other groups and organizations are unfounded. While the concerns and issues raised are valid, the bill includes safeguards that address them,” Averia said.

NADPOP founding president Samuel Jacoba said the bigger risk right now is the lack of a single standard that DTIPs have to observe, and which the Konektadong Pinoy Act will provide.

Further, Jacoba said the measure would encourage more players to invest in the telco industry by lifting barriers to entry like the congressional franchise.

This way, Jacoba said the Konektadong Pinoy Act would expand the country’s network of digital infrastructure, preventing a single point of failure.

PH-CERT and NADPOP are adding their voice to the growing list of industry groups that back the approval of the Konektadong Pinoy Act. Last week 53 doctors’ and health associations threw their support for the measure, wishing that it would upgrade rural connectivity.

The Konektadong Pinoy Act will remove the franchising requirement for connectivity providers. It is backed by business groups like the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and state agencies like the Department of Economy, Planning and Development.

The country’s biggest telcos, however, are lobbying against the Konektadong Pinoy Act, raising concerns on cybersecurity risks, spectrum allocation, technology bias, among others.

The measure is included in the priority legislation of the Marcos administration, which is aiming to connect 60 percent of families before it ends its term in 2028.