Public warned vs ‘ransomware’

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) called on the public to be more vigilant and extra cautious of malicious posts that they may encounter in the internet and social media, as one way of helping in preventing the spread of personal information following ransomware incident on September 22, 2023.

In a statement, the state health insurer sounded the alarm in anticipation of the attacker’s possible release of distorted information and fabrication of lies and black propaganda to malign the government.

“Their intention is to portray themselves as heroes, which we must guard against,” PhilHealth President and CEO Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. warned as he called on the media for help “caution the public against these deceptive actions.”

PhilHealth has already assured the public that the recent “hacking incident” is under control and that no personal information and medical information has been compromised or leaked.

Ledesma further warned that the attackers are expected to post what they may have exfiltrated from the agency and disseminate these on the web and social media.

He advised the public against opening, posting and even sharing this information.

Instead, Ledesma appealed to promptly report sensitive information found online or on social media to PhilHealth and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to prevent further dissemination” through these email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].

The PhilHealth also assured it is diligently working to restore its other systems which include the HCI Portal and application servers following thorough security testing. Its corporate website, Member Portal, and e-Claims are back online as of Friday, September 29, 2023.

“We are aware that the disruption (has) caused inconvenience to our members and stakeholders. To mitigate the impact, we immediately issued announcements and advisories on interim arrangements to ensure continuity of essential services, particularly member benefits,” Ledesma said.

He also emphasized their unwavering commitment to safeguarding members' privacy and information.

PhilHealth added that investigations are underway in cooperation with the DICT, National Privacy Commission, National Bureau of Investigation, and Philippine National Police, as they are fully committed to supporting these agencies in their pursuit of the truth and holding the culprits accountable.”

The PhilHealth chief also urged certain groups and sectors to refrain from disseminating false or misleading information to prevent panic and distrust and encouraged those with pertinent information to cooperate with the authorities. — (FREEMAN)