Philippine Tax Bureau Investigates Possible Taxpayer Data Exposure

The Philippines’ Bureau of Internal Revenue is investigating cybersecurity incidents reported on November 6 and 7 that may have exposed taxpayer profile information, according to a bureau statement reported by The Manila Times. The bureau said its initial findings showed no taxpayer information had been modified or lost, and no filing or payment records had been compromised.

The extent of any exposure remains under investigation. Earlier, the Philippine News Agency reported that the bureau was examining claims of a data leak circulating online. The bureau said it had taken steps to preserve evidence and prevent further exposure, and was coordinating with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center and the information technology department’s national computer emergency response team.

On November 10, the National Privacy Commission confirmed it had received personal data breach notifications from the tax bureau and nine other government offices, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry. A notification initiates regulatory review; the commission did not say that every agency’s reported incident had resulted in confirmed data exposure.

Deputy Privacy Commissioner Jose Belarmino II said the commission examines each notification’s circumstances, potential effect on individuals and the agency’s response before determining what action to take. Meanwhile, the tax bureau advised taxpayers to change passwords, enable multifactor authentication where available, monitor accounts for unusual activity and conduct transactions only through its official channels. It also warned of phishing attempts that could exploit reports of the incidents, according to The Manila Times.