THE Philippine Institute of Cyber Security Professionals (PICSPro) is offering free seminars to small and start-up business organizations in a bid to help secure the country’s information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructures.
Aside from big and rich firms, small and struggling enterprises are also facing threats, Angel T. Redoble, PICSPro cofounder and president, said in a phone interview on February 21. “Small-business organizations are also facing threats since attackers are more likely tempted to assume that they are less capable of securing their data than their big counterparts.”
In a recent interview, Isaac Sabas, founder and CEO of Pandora Security Labs, said many small enterprises are not keen
on taking data-security measures, as they think attackers are not interested in them due to the size of their business. But Redoble believes that attacks on a number of small-business organizations drawn together can equal and even go beyond the extent of compromise and losses sustained by a big company from an attack. And this could draw the attention of attackers as small businesses could be easier to penetrate.
“Securing the country’s ICT infrastructures is everyone’s concern and responsibility,” Redoble said. “Even if you are a small organization, you are responsible for securing your infrastructure.”
Even every single individual has responsibility to safeguard his data, he added. The seminars would also help small organizations understand their responsibility and accountability in terms of information and communications. The seminars that PICSPro offer to small and start-up business organizations are free of charge. Interested parties should just provide the venue. PICSPro, a group of patriotic cyber-security practitioners and advocates, is seeking to help stakeholders to proactively secure the country’s cyber space. Its members include personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and other government agencies, students, professionals and entrepreneurs. It also has affiliate organizations of cyber-security practitioners and advocates outside of Metro Manila gathering around its advocacy.