Heightened cybersecurity pushed ahead of 2025 poll --[Reported by Umva mag]

GLOBAL CYBERSECURITY company Kaspersky urged Filipinos to step up cybersecurity measures and digital privacy ahead of the 2025 midterm elections amid expected increase in cyberattacks.

“Elections are not only a concern for candidates and their campaign teams. Ordinary citizens are also at risk of falling victim to cyberattacks, as cybercriminals often exploit personal information to spread disinformation, influence public opinion, and propagate fake news,” Kaspersky Managing Director for Asia-Pacific Adrian Hia said in a media release on Monday.

According to Kaspersky, risks of cyberattacks such as phishing, misinformation campaigns, and hacking attempts usually increase during campaign periods, noting cyber attackers will attempt to send fraudulent e-mails or messages disguised as campaign materials to try and infiltrate devices, and install malware.

“Malicious actors can spread false information, including altered election results, fabricated candidate statements, or misleading narratives aimed at swaying voter decisions,” Kaspersky said.

Attackers are also seen taking advantage of social media platforms to collect personal data that can be later used and exploited for targeted breaches.

Kaspersky also recommended that individuals and organizations keep their softwares up to date to prevent attackers from exploiting vulnerabilities.

Kaspersky said that data must always be backed up regularly and access activities must always be monitored.

“While the risk of cyberattacks are happening all year round, we may also see a spike of these incidents during campaign period as candidates usually employ text blast machines, which cybercriminals can exploit,” Digital Pinoys National Campaigner Ronald B. Gustilo said in a Viber message.

National Telecommunications Commission Deputy Commissioner Jon Paulo V. Salvahan said the agency continuously monitors and enforces prohibition to ensure scammers will not exploit text scams and blasts during the campaign period.

“Social media platforms and the government should put up measures to ensure that the exploitation of digital technology to unfairly gain advantage or create a disadvantage against a political opponent will not be allowed,” Digital Pinoys’ Mr. Gustilo said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

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