20 Filipinas hurdle US advanced digital forensics course

Twenty Filipinas will join the ranks of the US-based National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) graduates hurdling the Advanced Digital Forensics course, a milestone in the Philippines' move toward narrowing the gender-gap in the cybersecurity sector.

The women specialists from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Philippine National Police (PNP), Anti–Money Laundering Council, and the National Privacy Commission. They are the first batch of Filipinas to have undergone the specialized training normally dominated by male investigation.

CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos said his agency organized the training at the National Cybercrime Hub in Bonifacio Global City to break societal norms and stereotypes on Filipino women by providing them access to adequate training on cybersecurity and digital investigations.

Based on previous global studies, women account only for 20 to 25 percent of those employed in cybersecurity while men continue to dominate the field.

“This milestone highlights the dedication and expertise of our women specialists in cybercrime investigation. As digital threats evolve, the need for highly trained professionals—regardless of gender—becomes more crucial,” Ramos said in a statement.

“We are proud of these graduates who now have enhanced capabilities to secure and defend our digital landscape.”

The training program, facilitated by NW3C, covered critical areas such as forensic data acquisition, malware analysis, and advanced investigative techniques. 

The graduates are now equipped with cutting-edge skills to support cybercrime investigations and digital evidence analysis across various government agencies.