"Many organizations have a false sense of security that if they have a firewall, IDS (intrusion detection systems), or end-point security they are already secure. That's a false sense of security," said Alexis Bernardino, Chief Cybersecurity Evangelist at PLDT Enterprise and ePLDT.

"You have to view cybersecurity from an end-to-end perspective. As best practice, organizations must veer away from the usual reactive approach and move the needle toward a proactive cybersecurity approach," said Bernardino, adding that organizations should also consider using new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to automate their cybersecurity processes.

Bernardino was part of a panel discussion on cybersecurity and protecting businesses in a digital world at the recent GoDigital Pilipinas (GDP) Movement launch held in La Union.

A movement under the Presidential Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), GDP heeds the call of the government to address the risk of a digital divide by promoting digital literacy and building a sustainable digital ecosystem.

PLDT and Smart President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio is among the founding members of PSAC, under its Digital Infrastructure pillar.

Bernardino also encouraged organizations to train their employees in cybersecurity to strengthen their capabilities. "They always say that the weakest link are our people, but I beg to disagree. With proper training and awareness, they can be forcing multipliers and our first line of defense," he said, speaking before an audience of local business owners, students, and government representatives.

Bernardino likewise emphasized the importance of collaboration between private companies and the Government to protect Philippine cyberspace.

"Cybersecurity professionals are scarce, so we must talk to each other and collaborate because our adversaries are doing the same," he said. "We must share our knowledge and expertise, and with the help of the Government, we will defend as one so that we will have a safer Philippine cyberspace."

Supporting the connectivity needs of organizations and businesses across the country are PLDT and Smart's integrated fixed and wireless networks across the country.

As of end-March 2023, PLDT had expanded its total fiber footprint to over 1.1 million kilometers, consisting of over 231,000 kilometers of international fiber and over 874,000 kilometers of domestic fiber.

This fiber infrastructure also supports Smart's 3G, 4G/LTE, and 5G network, which covers 97 percent of the country's population as of end-March 2023.

PLDT and Smart's continued efforts to boost the cybersecurity and connectivity requirements of enterprises and organizations across the country contribute to the PLDT Group’s endeavors to provide connectivity to all and to anchor initiatives on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly on SDG No. 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.