By Richa Noriega The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has called the government agencies to review and assess their current information and communications technology (ICT) equipment and software amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. (MANILA BULLETIN) In a statement on Wednesday, May 13, the department said updating the ICT equipment and software is a step towards optimizing the use of available bandwidth, and minimizing risks associated with the use of old or outdated ICT hardware and software. “The COVID-19 crisis in the country puts many of our fellow Filipinos and many of our institutions exposed to high security risks due to higher dependency on ICT resources,” DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said. DICT underscored the importance to check for updates in order to create a safe cyberspace for all, and to ensure that worries due to system bugs, lags, and errors lessened during the pandemic as the government’s productivity relies heavily on ICT. “We encourage everyone, as a matter of good practice, to periodically check for updates, especially those that are needed to address possible security vulnerabilities on outdated software or even equipment,” Honasan added. The department said it is committed to utilize information in supporting initiatives and policies of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Diseases (IATF-MEID) in order to ensure the consistent and reliable telecommunication services across the government and private sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic.