GLOBAL network security provider Trend Micro Philippines is urging the Philippine government to focus in building up its cybersecurity capability to be able to protect and manage its digital assets.
“The number of certified information security systems professionals is a big concern for the country mainly because of the skills-gap problem in the Philippines’s cybersecurity industry,” said Ian Felipe, country manager of Trend Micro Philippines in the press briefing held in Makati City.
“Compared to our Asean neighbors, our country is lagging behind in the number of cybersecurity personnel. In fact, Indonesia has 107, Thailand has 189, Malaysia has 275 and Singapore has 1,000,” Felipe said.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology said the country has only 84 certified information security systems professionals, with almost half of them working overseas.
The 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study by Frost & Sullivan for the Center for Cyber Safety and Education said the world will need 1.8 million cybersecurity professionals by 2022. The think tank reported that 61 percent of professionals surveyed in Asia Pacific said they are experiencing a shortage of information security workers in their departments.
Trend Micro’s Micro Smart Protection Network data said, the Philippine threat landscape indicated that old or previously patched vulnerabilities are still being exploited by threats such as malware.
“Among the top threat detections in the country include the DOWNAD/Conficker malware, which exploits a 10-year-old vulnerability in Windows; and WannaCry ransomware, which arrives and spreads via a vulnerability disclosed in 2017,” Felipe said.
Felipe said the country can also capitalize on the opportunity to produce cybersecurity experts not only for the domestic but also for the global market as well. “This can be the new area for outsourcing services for the Philippines,” he said.
“This is going to be a good career path for young Filipinos who want to pursue a career in the country and overseas as well,” he added.
Aside from the lack of cybersecurity experts, Felipe said the country is also facing a challenge in information and data privacy. Although the government led by the National Privacy Commission of the DICT has crafted policies and regulations that aim to protect user data and privacy, Felipe said reports of data breaches remained consistent, if not higher. “In the Philippines, according to NPC, they’ve received 57 reported data breaches to NPC from January to May 2018,” Felipe said.
Felipe said Trend Micro recognizes the importance of collaboration with like-minded organizations in order to share relevant information, best-practices, etcetera. For example, he said the company has partnered with the International Police in providing capacity building and training to the law enforcement community around the world, including the Philippines.
Trend Micro is also active in educating students who show passion to excel in the field of internet safety and cybersecurity. Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program (Click Right) is one of the initiatives under this program.
Last year, through its Trend Initiative for Education program, the company also partnered with top schools and universities in order to equip educators with up-to-date content and solutions to enhance their cybersecurity curriculum.