MANILA: The number of cybercrime cases in the country dropped by 36 percent in the first half of this year, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Tuesday. Citing latest data, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group logged a total of 8,177 complaints from January to June 30, from 12,808 in the same period last year. "The significant decrease in cybercrime complaints from January 1 to June 30, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, reflects the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures implemented by businesses and government agencies," the ACG said. The ACG added that cybercrimes such as online scams showed a downtrend, which it attributed to its improved enforcement and awareness campaigns. However, there was an increase in cyberlibel cases and photo and video voyeurism. The ACG said this is mainly due to heightened online engagement and easier sharing of content. In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the police force has committed to allocating more resources and enhancing capabilities to combat the growing threat of cyber-related offenses. "We are providing information technology (IT) trainings to our personnel and we are also pleased that other government agencies, such as the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology), are also providing capacity training programs for our IT officers. That is one of our directions in terms of ramping up our cybersecurity," Fajardo said. She added that ACG and the Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management train investigators on handling cybercrime cases. "We hope that before the year ends ay magkaroon tayo sa bawat station ng cybercrime desks (we would have cybercrime desks in each police station)," she said. Source: Philippines News Agency