DAVAO CITY – A group of IT experts said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should be held accountable for the recent breach of its data systems that leaked the registration information of 55 million Filipino voters.
Computer Professionals Union (CPU) deputy coordinator Mac Yanto said Comelec “disastrously betrayed the (public’s) trust and let down the voting public when it failed to safeguard its data systems, which laid bare what should be private information for the world, including unscrupulous groups and individuals, to see.”
The CPU is mulling to sue Comelec for failing to secure voters’ private registration data.
CPU questioned how the Comelec spent its more than half a billion peso-budget last year for Information and Communication Technology.
“Why was it not used to install secured firewalls and failsafe systems to ensure the security of its data?” Yanto asked.
Last Thursday, a website named wehaveyourdata.com announced that it has Comelec’s voters’ registration data following the breach of Comelec’s website made by hacker group Lulzsec Pilipinas.
The said website is no longer accessible.
On Thursday afternoon, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez “assured the public that the Comelec is doing everything to resolve the matter.”
Yanto said the hacker group exposed the gaping holes in the Comelec’s data management and security system.
“How can you expect an election body to take care of counting votes when it cannot even properly manage voters’ data and information?” Yanto said.
The CPU urged the Comelec to immediately secure its data systems and conduct and audit of its data systems and to release full results of the data security audit. (davaotoday.com)
