Cybersecurity is one of the many areas where the Philippines needs to enhance its capabilities in order to protect its digital users. The country ranks second in the cybersecurity company Kaspersky’s global cyber-attack of 2023 list while only placing 45th out of 164 countries in the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI) by the e-Governance Academy Foundation.
In response to this growing threat, DITO CME Ventures, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly-listed DITO CME Holdings Corp., recently brought together top experts from both the public and private sectors for its first-ever one-day live event focused on cybersecurity with the theme “Secure Horizons 2024: Navigating Tomorrow’s Cyber Threats with Today’s Innovative Solutions.”
DITO’s Secure Horizons event began with a speech from the company’s President and COO Donald Patrick Lim, where he mentioned that the event almost did not push through due to the inclement weather brought on by Typhoon Enteng and the southwest monsoon.
“Cyberthreats wait for no man and no perfect weather; it could just come at any time. Thus, we made a conscious decision to push through because as they say, the show must go on,” he said.
The DITO CME COO also noted that the Philippines has been a target of numerous cyberattacks over the past months and shared that other companies have been asking him about what’s been recently happening on the cybersecurity front.
“These attacks have not been limited to any one single institution, they span government agencies, private enterprises, and even critical national infrastructure. This growing threat landscape underscores a pressing reality: our vulnerability as a nation,” he said.
Mr. Lim mentioned that rapid digital transformation, lack of focus on cybersecurity, limited investments in cybersecurity infrastructure, and its geopolitical position in Southeast Asia make the Philippines an attractive target for cyberattacks either state-sponsored or launched by transnational criminal groups.
To make the country more cyber-secure, he recommends that private and public institutions work together and invest in robust cybersecurity measures, including adopting the latest technologies, conducting regular audits, as well as training their workforce to identify, anticipate and respond to both present and future cyberthreats.
He added that there is a need for a comprehensive cybersecurity policy and legislation that provides a clear framework for protecting critical infrastructure, responding to incidents, and prosecuting cybercriminals. In addition, he recommends the integration of cybersecurity into the education curricula and running awareness campaigns to ensure that every citizen knows their role in safeguarding the digital future.
“Cybersecurity is not just a technical issue, it is a strategic imperative. The frequency and impact of cyberattacks in our country highlight the need for action. We must act collectively and decisively… Together we can build a safer digital future for our nation,” Mr. Lim said.
The event also featured a keynote speech from Department of Information and Communications Technology Director of the Cybersecurity Bureau Jose Carlos “Caloy” P. Reyes, where he spoke about the critical importance of national cybersecurity strategies and ongoing initiatives to bolster the country’s resilience against cyber threats.
Other experts from the public sector who spoke during the event include PCol. Jay Guillermo, division chief of the Cybercrime Unit of the Philippine National Police; Col. Francel Margareth Taborlupa, chief of the Information Systems Management Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; and Monchito B. Ibrahim, executive member at National Innovation Council.
Meanwhile, several prominent private sector experts also shared their valuable insights and expertise during the event: Red Rock IT Security, Inc. Chief Technology Officer Raymond Nunez; Impact Solutions Research Institute Founder and Senior Consultant Jan Chavez-Arceo; Blackpanda Group CEO Gene Yu; Hacktiv Colab, Inc. CEO Paul Soliman; Hacktiv Colab, Inc. Chief AI and Data Strategist Ziggy Zulueta; Asian Institute of Management Adjunct Professor Edwin Concepcion; and, ATTN Live Chief Innovation Officer and University of Michigan Professor Tim Bates.
Topics such as data privacy, artificial intelligence, blockchain, deep fakes, and even the West Philippine Sea were all covered by these experts to highlight the challenges and emerging risks in the digital landscape of the Philippines.
In closing the event, Mr. Lim expressed his appreciation towards the attendees, sponsors, experts, and stakeholders who made the event possible and highly successful notwithstanding the poor weather. He summarized the key take-aways presented by each speaker.
“Cybersecurity is not the responsibility of one single entity, it is a collective mission. Therefore, one of the recurring themes of this conference is the interconnected nature of our challenges in this rapidly growing digital space. Our security is only as good as our weakest link,” he said.
Taking off from the success of this initial event, Secure Horizons plans to do a roadshow across different key cities in the Philippines with Visayas and Mindanao legs. These will culminate in the Secure Horizons Roadshow in Manila, before the end of 2025. More details to come.
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