Cyber Incident Victim: Pinoy Weekly
Date:
Dec 2018
Location:
Philippines
Summary
A group of independent media outlets including Pinoy Weekly experienced distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that rendered their websites inaccessible following their publication of stories related to a political organization's anniversary. Media advocacy groups AlterMidya and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines condemned the cyberattacks as direct assaults on press freedom and democratic discourse, emphasizing the critical role of alternative media in providing diverse perspectives and safeguarding civil liberties against authoritarian threats. The incidents prompted strong statements about the importance of protecting journalistic independence amid concerns about state-sponsored suppression of dissent.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
Between December 26 and December 28, 2018, multiple Philippine independent media outlets experienced cyberattacks targeting their online operations. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks disrupted access to the websites of Pinoy Weekly, Bulatlat, and Kodao Productions, all members of the AlterMidya network. The attacks commenced shortly after these outlets published content related to the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Technical details regarding attack vectors, traffic volume, or duration were not disclosed in public statements. The primary operational impact was prolonged website inaccessibility, preventing public access to news content during the outage period. No data breaches, defacements, or secondary attack types were reported alongside the DDoS incidents.
AlterMidya's National Secretariat publicly confirmed the cyberattacks on December 28, 2018, through a statement by National Chairperson Luis Teodoro. The organization characterized the incidents as deliberate assaults against media freedom, explicitly linking them to the outlets' critical reporting on government actions. Teodoro emphasized the targeted sites' role in challenging executive power abuses and safeguarding civil liberties during a period of perceived authoritarian threats. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) separately denounced the takedowns as coordinated suppression of press freedom. Both organizations framed the cyberattacks within broader patterns of state hostility toward alternative media, asserting these outlets' legitimacy in enriching democratic discourse. No technical mitigation measures or law enforcement responses were detailed in available reporting. The incidents drew attention to digital vulnerabilities among independent media entities covering politically sensitive topics in the Philippines.