MANILA - The public must regularly conduct cyber drills similar to how people conduct fire or earthquake drills to prepare for possible cyber attacks, a data and cybersecurity analyst said on Friday.

Dominic Ligot, founder of Data Ethics PH, said Filipinos must do regular drills to be alert when cyberattacks occur. These drills could also help prevent cybercrimes from succeeding, he said.

“Sanay tayo mag fire drill, earthquake drill kasi disaster readiness. Kailan tayo mag cyber drill?,” he asked.

He said a cyber drill can be as easy as changing passwords or it could be a simulation of a cyberattack.

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“How often do we change our passwords? What’s the first thing you will do pag na-compromise yung identity mo? How do you do a simulation of a cyber attack?”

Ligot said drills like these are crucial after several critical government agencies, including PhilHealth and the Philippine Statistics Authority, were hacked and personal information of the public was leaked in the past weeks.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology, meanwhile, gave tips on what to do if a person suspects he or she has been victimized, as well as tips to avoid being prey to a cyberattack:

- Change passwords immediately, especially those used in banking
- Enable multi-factor authentication
- Call banks or credit card companies if their personal details have been compromised
- Avoid clicking unverified links
- Do not share personal information online
- Call the inter-agency response center hotline 1326.

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