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Comelec Hacker Arrested
HACKER FALLS – Suspected Commission on Elections (Comelec) website hacker Paul Biteng tries to hide his face while he was being presented to media yesterday following his arrest over the hacking of the poll body’s website. (Ali Vicoy)
April 22nd, 2016 | 09:31 AM | 3369 views
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
He Wants Assurance Comelec Security Features Are In Place, Says Bautista
A 23-year-old Information Technology graduate from Sampaloc, Manila, was arrested Wednesday night in connection with the hacking and purported leak of data of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) website.
Paul Biteng is now in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). His arrest came after three weeks of digital and human surveillance by members of the NBI Cybercrime Division.
NBI Director Virgilio Mendez said they have been examining the contents of Biteng’s computer and hope to release their findings today or tomorrow.
Aside from Biteng, the NBI is also looking for two other hackers involved in the operation.
Mendez said the suspect admitted that the hacking was intended to show the vulnerability of the Comelec website.
Biteng may be charged with violating cybercrime laws and may faced up to six years imprisonment.
The Comelec website was hacked last March 27, raising fears that the automated elections system may have been compromised.
However, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista assured that it was only the public information website that was hacked and not the website that will be used to display electoral results on May 9.
“It has no effect in the sense that a different website will be used for the results of the May elections. What he (Biteng) hacked was the public information website of the Comelec. Although it somehow affected other features like the precinct finder. That’s why some voters want to know their precincts but our system is sometimes down,” Bautista said in Filipinos during a press conference yesterday at the NBI office.
Bautista said the suspect was making sure that all security features would be made to protect the Comelec website.
“According to him, he wants to make sure Comelec installs all security features. We assured him that all security features stated under the automated election law will be enforced in the 2016 elections. I told told him, it was unnecessary to hack as he could have just written a letter to us and we will address the concerns,” Bautista said.
Biteng’s involvement in the defacement of other government websites could not be established yet.
The suspect told the NBI that he does not know the two other suspected hackers and communicate only through social media.
Mendez did not give other details about the two other suspects, except saying that one of them is 20 years old.
Interviewed after the press conference, Mendez said the suspect seemed not bothered by his arrest and he was even cooperative.
“I think he is expecting, because he was aware he was the subject of a manhunt. He appears to be challenging the NBI to look for him,” Mendez said.
Ronald Aguto Jr., chief of the NBI Cybercrime Division, said they have proof that Biteng is one of the members that hacked the Comelec website.
“This is a continuing effort in our part so we’re hoping that in the next few days we are able to identify and arrest the other personalities involved,” he said.
Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN
by Jenny F. Manongdo
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