What’s going on with cybersecurity Philippines in the next normal? Read on to learn more.
Cybersecurity Philippines in 2021
Nobody anticipated the COVID-19 pandemic. And we can see the evidence we are unprepared for by looking at the governments’ and private organizations’ reactions to it.
Even our personal lives are drastically changed. We change the way we work, buy food, and even take classes.
Companies are also affected. For one thing, they had to adapt a work-from-home setup just so they won’t close permanently.
In the wake of the new normal, different cybersecurity challenges also arise.
In the Philippines, the number of phishing cases increased by 200%. And this happened during a pandemic alone.
Now, they don’t just target individuals. Even large and established organizations were not exempted.
For example, hackers seized control of a giant telco’s customer service Twitter account. As a result, they have to undergo an investigation from the National Privacy Commission.
In June, several student portals of universities were also hacked. Because of that, it compromised hundreds of thousands of personal information of students.
Of course, even the Philippine government was not spared. An international hacktivist group defaced several websites of government agencies.
Recently, a senator was charged P1 million worth of food ordered by hackers using his credit card.
These incidents show that hackers don’t let their hands rest sharing the crisis. If anything, it influenced most of their attacks.
Response to Cybersecurity in the Philippines
In response to cyber incidents, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a reminder to the corporate sector. And that is to make cybersecurity stronger than ever.
It is also important for companies to test if their policies are in place. And of course, companies should do this the protect their assets.
The Central Bank of the Philippines also addresses the increase of digital transactions. Most businesses now encourage using digital payment options so they can prevent the spread of the virus.
But, they also encouraged financial companies to use “zero trusts” cybersecurity systems. So, they can be more resilient to protect themselves and their clients from attacks.
CBP also aims to provide a cybersecurity model. So they can help its financial institutions to have better risk management.
How You Can Protect Yourself
Cybersecurity is not just for companies. It’s also important for individuals. So, what can you do to protect yourself?
Here are some tips you can follow.
- Be wary of unverified and unproven COVID-19 websites or applications. These can trick you to give your data. And if you do, cybercriminals can steal your files or even your money.
- Do not open messages or attachments from unknown sources. Hackers take advantage of the news now. And they can use this to inject malware under files let me look legitimate.
- Be vigilant of COVID-19 related scams. Cybercriminals can use the pandemic as bait to deceive people. For example, they send emails acting as the Department of Health. They can also pretend as members of a charity group that “assists” frontline workers.
