Philippine Department of Migrant Workers hit by ransomware attack

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in the Philippines has been hit a ransomware attack, resulting in the temporary unavailability of its online systems.

The attack,has led to a halt in electronic services crucial for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), such as the issuance of overseas employment certificates (OECs) and OFW Passes. The department has switched to manual processing and overseas Filipino workers can secure OEC or OFW Passes through manual processing at the DMW National Office, Regional Offices, extensions, One-stop Shops, and Migrant Workers Assistance Centers.

The DMW is collaborating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to restore its systems. They are also coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration to ensure the departure of OFWs is not hindered.

The DMW has assured the public that no OFW databases were compromised and has taken pre-emptive measures to protect information by taking systems offline.