IN commemoration of Human Rights Day on Dec. 12, the US government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and The Asia Foundation, launched a P16.8-million ($300,000) initiative that will strengthen the capacity of human rights organizations in the Philippines to thwart cybersecurity threats, including doxing, phishing and organized digital attacks.
As part of an ongoing Initiative for Advancing Community Transformation (I-ACT) project, the “Cybersecurity for Human Rights in the Philippines” (C4HR-PH) initiative will provide tools and training to more than 150 local organizations across the country over 10 months. The tools and knowledge provided through C4HR-PH will help human rights defenders conduct their crucial advocacy work, safeguard private data, and advance justice and accountability without disruption or retribution.
Cybersecurity experts from The Asia Foundation will work closely with national human rights coalitions to design and deliver training in risk management, digital security assessments, phishing awareness and adoption of cybersecurity protocols such as multi-factor authentication and regular data backups.
C4HR-PH underscores USAid’s commitment to fostering secure, empowered and resilient organizations that can continue their critical work of promoting human rights and democracy.
Last October, the Philippines entered into a collaborative agreement with the United States and Japan to enhance the country’s cyber and digital resilience in a trilateral cyber and digital dialogue on the sidelines of the 9th Singapore International Cyber Week.
During the dialogue, officials discussed trilateral cooperation in cyberspace, including civilian cybersecurity capacity building, cybersecurity workforce development, maritime cybersecurity and information sharing. The trilateral cooperation will integrate cybersecurity, sustainable development and technology.
The Philippines, the US and Japan also discussed cyber and digital opportunities to enable the trusted flow of data across borders and continued efforts to advance the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Forum. Established in 2022, the Global CBPR Forum is an initiative that builds on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CBPR system as a framework that supports a free flow of data and effective data protection and privacy.
Domestic initiatives
In April, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 58 mandating all government agencies to adopt the National Cybersecurity Plan 2023-2028 to ensure that the country is better protected against cyberattacks and online threats. The momentum will see the Philippines on track to become a cybersecurity powerhouse, providing a safe and secure online environment for every Filipino.
In October, the DICT announced that the Philippines had made significant progress in the 2024 United Nations Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), climbing from 61st to 53rd place since 2020. Released on Sept. 12, 2024, the report indicated a rise in the Philippines’ cybersecurity score, placing the country just 1.51 points shy of entering Tier 1, which recognizes the world’s best in cybersecurity laws, technology, organizations, training, and international cooperation.
The country’s advancement from Tier 3 (Evolving) to Tier 2 (Advancing) reflects improvements in critical areas, such as technical skill development, international collaboration, and the organization of cybersecurity efforts. Much of this progress has been attributed to the government’s focus on bolstering cybersecurity through the National Cybersecurity Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028 which mandates all government agencies to adopt the NCSP 2023-2028.
In August, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released the 2024-2029 Financial Services Cyber Resilience Plan (FSCRP), which covers BSP-supervised financial institutions for the next five years to combat cybercrimes. The first goal of the plan is to establish defined and coordinated response protocols and plans that multiple industry players can follow when dealing with major cybersecurity incidents. The banking industry regulator also aims to develop scenario-based incident response playbooks on threats like data breaches, as well as the setting up of an Industry Security Operations Center.
In December, the Department of National Defense, in cooperation with the Cyber Battalion, the Army Signal Regiment (ASR) of the Philippine Army, conducted the 3rd Cybersecurity Exercise (Cybex 2024) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. The activity aimed at raising awareness and improving the cybersecurity competencies of the Defense Department and its bureaus while fostering collaboration in addressing emerging cyberthreats.
The exercise featured a hands-on simulation exercise utilizing the Cyber eXercise for eXcellence (Cyber eX) platform, developed in-house by the Philippine Army Cyber Battalion. Participants engaged in advanced challenges, including digital forensics, cryptography and artificial intelligence, gaining practical experience in addressing sophisticated cyberthreats while fostering collaboration and strategic thinking.
In a separate development, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and other public and private sector partners launched Protecta Fintech, an agreement among numerous fintech companies to bolster the protection of the Philippines’ digital financial ecosystem. The agreement seeks to foster compliance with regulators, open industry communications, and advocate responsive and relevant legislation for the fintech sector players.
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