DICT to fight for confidential funds

The Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will appeal against a refusal from the House of Representatives to grant the agency confidential funds for 2024. DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy warned that withholding such funds weakens the country’s defences against cybercrime. The move follows a cyberattack on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), which compromised the personal information of some members. The DICT previously sought $6 million in confidential funds for 2024 to improve cyber defences.