BRIAN POE RAISES ALARM OVER PH’ LOW CYBERSECURITY PREPAREDNESS

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Partylist first nominee Brian Poe Llamanzares has sounded the alarm over the Philippines’ seemingly low cybersecurity readiness despite ongoing efforts to bolster defenses. 

He cited stark statistics from recent reports, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to cyberattacks and the urgent need for increased investment and decisive action.

“While we’ve made some progress, the harsh reality is that we are still not ready,” Poe stated in a recent address.

“The statistics paint a sobering picture, revealing a significant gap between our aspirations and our actual capabilities,” he added.

Poe pointed to the 2024 Cybersecurity Readiness Index by Cisco, which reported that a mere 1% of Philippine organizations have sufficient readiness to withstand cybersecurity risks. The figure is significantly lower than the global average of 3%.

Adding to the urgency of the situation, Poe cited the 2024 State of Omnichannel Fraud Report by TransUnion, revealing that 8.3% of all digital transactions by consumers in the Philippines were suspected of being fraudulent in 2023. This alarming rate is a staggering 66% higher than the global digital fraud rate of 5%.

Further highlighting the gravity of the issue, Poe referenced the APAC State of Incident Response 2022 report by Kroll, which revealed that a staggering 75% of organizations in the Philippines experienced a cyber incident. The figure far exceeds the Asia-Pacific region average of 59%.

“These statistics are not just numbers on a page. They represent real-world consequences for individuals, businesses, and our national security,” Poe emphasized.  

He pointed to the prevalence of scams and phishing attempts targeting Filipinos, with almost everyone owning a cellphone experiencing unsolicited calls and text messages from scammers. This reality has led to the Philippines being dubbed “Asia’s epicenter for online shopping scams” by Nikkei Asia.

“We cannot afford to be complacent. We need to redouble our efforts to strengthen our cybersecurity infrastructure, promote digital literacy, and enhance legal frameworks to deter cybercrime,” Poe urged.

“Cybersecurity is not just about protecting our data. It’s about protecting our democracy, our economy and our future,”  Poe said.