Double time for cybersecurity

Executive Order No. 58, issued by President Marcos in April this year, officially adopted the National Cybersecurity Plan 2023-2028 of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Under the plan, all national government agencies, including local government units and instrumentalities, must formulate, adopt, and implement cybersecurity plans and strategies relevant to their respective mandates.

With this plan, the government solidifies its recognition that cybersecurity is a new security domain. Alongside defense and the economy, the digital environment must not only be conducive to growth and innovation but also safe for all users, from individuals and households to private enterprises and public offices.Recent instances of cybersecurity breaches have brought attention to the extent of the damage that can be caused by such incidents. The methodology is varied, the objectives diverse, and the malign actors take on many faces. They can range from individual hackers out for a thrill, a criminal syndicate wanting to rake in profits, to a nation-state wanting to cripple its target’s critical infrastructure for economic or political purposes.

It is good that the government has finally acknowledged the increasingly important role that cybersecurity has taken in the life of our nation. But having a plan is one thing. We must remember that the matter we are dealing with is never static, and in fact highly dynamic. On a wider scale, in the Indo-Pacific, for instance, cyberattacks have become weapons for adversaries to execute their malicious objectives.

Fortunately, it is also being increasingly recognized that protecting our digital environment is not just a task for the government. After all, given its limited resources and capabilities, and its myriad of other areas of concern, the government needs to join forces with other sectors and stakeholders, specifically the private sector and the international community. The national framework needs to be reinforced across industries and among friends, allies, and partners.

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Stratbase ADR Institute recently partnered with the Center for a New American Security in organizing a forum entitled “Safeguarding the Indo-Pacific: Strengthening Partnerships to Meet Emerging Cybersecurity Threats.” The event gathered government officials, cybersecurity experts, members of the diplomatic community, and policy experts to assess the cybersecurity landscape in the Philippines and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, in a video recording, said cybersecurity is a formidable global challenge. Chris Painter, president of The Global Forum on Cyber Expertise Foundation, said that hackers have gotten progressively more clever, and have been good and cooperating with each other. Ret. Gen. John Allen, former commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, said it is from this point of departure that the community of democracies must now wake up to the realities of 21st-century conflict.

Maciej Surowiec, head of Asean government affairs of Microsoft, said attackers increasingly go after critical infrastructure organizations. Francisco Ashley Acedillo, board member and the former president of the Philippine Institute of Cybersecurity Professionals, pointed out the increasing use of artificial intelligence in executing malicious attacks in cyberspace.

United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson expressed her support in the upcoming bilateral cyber dialogue between the Philippines and the US. Hae Kyong Yu, ambassador of Australia to the Philippines, said “Australia wants to continue helping the Philippines build your capability around dealing with cyber threats.” Keiichiro Sasaki reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to cyber diplomacy.

So, while cybersecurity is a threat to the nation, it is also a shared responsibility of the international community. Governments and countries, through partnerships on various scales, need to continuously adopt policies that address current cyber threats, enhance capacity-building initiatives, resolve issues surrounding the digital divide, and ensure the upskilling and upscaling of cybersecurity professionals to aid in maintaining a safe and secure digital environment. Cyberspace is being weaponized and is a clear and present threat that we must be ready to repel at all levels of our society.

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Dindo Manhit is founder and CEO of the Stratbase Group.