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More businesses are now aware of the importance of cybersecurity in their operations, cybersecurity firm Fortinet said Wednesday.

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Benise Balaoing

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1723693274571fortinet.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Fortinet Philippines Country Manager Alan Reyes (right) and Dr. Joey Suba of the Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE) pose for a photo after Fortinet presented its 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report. Fortinet is working with PSITE to bring cybersecurity training to more students in the Philippines. Benise Balaoing, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fortinet Philippines Country Manager Alan Reyes (right) and Dr. Joey Suba of the Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE) pose for a photo after Fortinet presented its 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report. Fortinet is working with PSITE to bring cybersecurity training to more students in the Philippines. <em>Benise Balaoing, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — More businesses are now aware of the importance of cybersecurity in their operations, <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">cybersecurity firm Fortinet said Wednesday.</span></p><p><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">The company noted that, according to the results of the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap report, </span>77 percent of firms in the Philippines think that a lack of cybersecurity skills poses more risks for their organizations. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/6/6/robinsons-land-toyota-report-data-breaches-to-npc-1028" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robinsons Land, Toyota report data breaches to NPC</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/6/18/maxicare-reports-data-breach-to-npc-1446">Maxicare reports data breach to NPC</a></div><p>More than half or 52 percent of the respondents in their latest survey also said that data breaches cost their businesses more than $1 million in lost revenue, fines, and other expenses.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/6/22/jollibee-group-investigating-data-breach-1105">Jollibee Group investigates data breach</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/8/8/jg-summit-says-probing-alleged-cybersecurity-attack-1532">JG Summit says probing alleged &#x27;cybersecurity attack&#x27;</a></div><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Alan Reyes, Fortinet Philippines country manager, noted that Filipinos have always known about the importance of cybersecurity.</span></div><p>“Yung cybersecurity at the back of our minds has always been there. Alam namin ng tao yan eh, even before, especially those who are in the IT industries is, alam nila yan,” Reyes said.</p><p>However, he also noted that <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Philippine companies only spend 0.2 percent of revenue on information technology (IT) security.</span></p><p><span id="isPasted">He also said that, according to their survey, </span>there are only about 2 full time IT security employees for every 1,000 employees in Philippine companies.</p><p>“Right now, still, kahit na umaabot na tayo sa board level, the thinking still is that cybersecurity is an IT problem, not everyone’s problem,” said . </p><p>Reyes also noted that most companies have a “very technical” definition of cybersecurity, which limits it to protection of data, network, and programs.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/30/2023-a-challenging-time-due-to-data-breaches-says-npc-1550">2023 a &#x27;challenging time&#x27; due to data breaches, says NPC</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/17/23/cybersecurity-treated-like-an-afterthought-with-huge-economic-impact-dict">Cybersecurity treated like an ‘afterthought’, with huge economic impact: DICT</a></div><p>“If you will translate it with cyber security is nothing more than (the mitigation of) operational and financial risk, then it will make sense for you to allocate more people and spend more money on security,” he said.</p><p>To help address the cybersecurity skills gap in the country, Fortinet said it is offering training programs to give certifications to more Filipinos as cybersecurity professionals. </p><p>Reyes said Fortinet has given out some 25,000 certifications to date to students and professionals alike to help them fight cybersecurity threats.</p><p>“So even though we have done 25,000 certifications, personally, I would really want to give it around for the year. Around 6,000 certifications, we are very ready to train.”</p><p>He added, however, that he hopes to reach more Filipinos by working with schools and offering cybersecurity training to different industries.</p><p>“We would like to start these in schools. We would like to start in schools to be used in…as part of the FortiAcademy, for our expertise in to be a part of the curriculum.”</p><p>“Actually kahit elective lang, kasi curriculum mahirap eh, especially in public schools. Kasi kailangan daanan ng DepEd, Department of Education, Congress, to say “Okay, i-add na ‘yan sa ako. So at the very least elective as part of their training programs,” he said.</p><p>“Now for enterprises, naman, It&#x27;s, it&#x27;s a bit hard, because iisa-isahin mo eh. What we do, it&#x27;s a bit hard, because what we do, supporting it is we try to go into a conglomerate approach…sa conglomerate, you know pinapadala [sa ] amin, then we train them.”</p><p>“Otherwise yung mga agents namin as part of the service that we have is really conducting the awareness program to them.”</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0Kth6jjkVPs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>More businesses are now aware of the importance of cybersecurity in their operations, cybersecurity firm Fortinet said Wednesday.</p>

More Philippine companies now aware of importance of cybersecurity: Fortinet

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More Philippine companies now aware of importance of cybersecurity: Fortinet

Benise Balaoing,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 15, 2024 02:56 PM PHT

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