I was very busy with the preparation of the DarkNet workshop. Then with a very short notice, I was told to write a speech for the Undersecretary of National Defense in his report on “Cyber-Readiness of the Philippines” to be delivered at the DICT Cybersecurity Conference 2018 at Green Sun Hotel. All I have to do was to refer at my old blogs and made some “cut-and-paste”…and yet he read the whole speech I wrote word for word, saying:

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One of the prevailing challenges, in the region these coming days, is the rising threat in cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity is spelled in one word because it is treated entirely like a unique and newly coined word. It is not just a combination of two words or implying another form of security, similar to maritime or aviation security. The single word “Cybersecurity” is broad!

The two (2) words, Cyber Security, definitely refer to the prevention of data breach, stealing and falling of sensitive data into the wrong hands. It is about safeguarding the network structures from viruses, ransom wares and other forms of malwares; or not to be infiltrated or disabled.

In the point of view of the Department of National Defense (DND), cybersecurity is beyond data breach. It includes: cyber recruitment of radicals, cyber espionage, cybercrimes, hacktivism, and cyber terrorism that may involve damage to properties and loss of lives e.g. through tinkling of electrical gridlines, air traffic control, drinking water, streetlights, sanitation systems, 911 dispatch, stock markets, hospitals, Global Positioning System (GPS), Heat Ventilations and Air Condition (HVAC) Systems and other Internet of Things (IOTs). So for DND, it is about addressing cyber operations made by the enemies-of-the-state, internal or external. In this way, DND will continue to address its primary mandate, which is: “to maximize its effectiveness and efficiency in guarding against internal and external threats to national peace”.

With this new threat, DND has recognized Cyberspace as the new dimension in warfare. Its new role is CYBER DEFENSE, which covers and encompasses cyber security. In the AFP Strategic Plan, its cyber component which is the C4ISTAR (Command & Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target-Acquisition and Reconnaissance), will be the key factor for our success in battle at land, sea and air.

The DICT in their National Cybersecurity Master Plan 2022 manual has designated DND as the lead agency for National Cyber Defense, to be implemented by a unit called – AFPCYBERCOM. DICT enumerated in the said manual the roles and responsibilities of DND, which are:

1) Defend the military networks from cyber attacks;

2) Gather foreign cyber threats intelligence and determine attribution;

3) Secure national security and military systems;

4) Support the national protection, prevention, mitigation of, and recovery from cyber incidents; and

5) Investigate cybercrimes under military jurisdictions.

In line with these tasks, let me now report to you the “Cyber-Readiness” of the country.

DND is continually developing its 5 focus areas (based from the Global Cybersecurity Indexing): 1) Legal, 2) Technical, 3) Organizational, 4) Capability-Building, and 5) Cooperation.

In the legal aspect, the Philippines will be guided accordingly on cyber operations by the Tallinn Manual, which is the most comprehensive analysis of how existing international law applies to cyberspace and authored by nineteen international law experts. It is a guide for nations on how to behave in the chaotic world of cyberspace. The things written there are mere suggestions unless made into law. It is like the book on Etiquette by Emily Post. If you commit a violation, there are no sanctions.

On technical, the Signal Corps is the nucleus force for cybersecurity. They are the same people who specialized on electronic warfare, just like Secretary Rio. Signal corpsmen will be tapped in forming the CIRTs (Cyber Incident Response Teams). They are the Scout Rangers in the cyberspace!

On organizational, DND will comply with the demand of DICT to organize the AFPCYBERCOM. For the mean time, the roles and responsibilities mentioned earlier are absorbed and shared by the different major services: in the Army, by the Army Signal Regiment (Provisionary) which is soon to be regularized; in the Navy, the Naval Information and Communications Technology Center; and in the Air Force, the 950 Communications, Electronics and Information Systems Group.

DND has transformed the Defense Situation Monitoring Center (DSMC) into a world-class Cyber Center where the ASEAN Direct-Communication Infrastructure (ADI), a telephone hot-line amongst Defense Ministers, is housed. DSMC is connected with all cyber centers or points-of-contact of ADMM+ member-states for information sharing on cyber matters. In connection with this, a cellphone application called “Alerto” (both in ios and android) will be launched this year as an apparatus for everybody in reporting cyber incidents to DSMC. DND needs your help on this and please be counted!

On capacity building in connection with public awareness campaign, the Department in cooperation with DFA will be hosting a symposium on “Dealing with the DarkNet, Measures to Prevent Violent Extremism” tomorrow at Camp Aguinaldo. The war in Marawi might not yet be over. There are signs and incidents that recruitments are still going on inside the cyberspace with the recent arrest of suspected Egyptian terrorist Fehmi Lassqued.

Lastly, in the matter of international cooperation, DND is presently the co-chair of New Zealand’s Minister of Defense (from 2016 to 2019) in the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Experts’ Working Group (EWG) for Cybersecurity, which is composed of the 10 ASEAN Countries, namely: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, LAO PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam; and the 8 Plus Countries comprising of: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and USA.

When the single word terminology “cybersecurity” refers to cyberwarfare, this must be the concern of DND and the right term is Cyber Defense. If the same cybersecurity is talking about computer hygiene and hardening, the term is in two words – “cyber security” and this must be the concern of DICT.