by Aerol John Pateña/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has partnered with technology firm, Cisco Systems, to enhance information and intelligence sharing on cybersecurity threats in the country.
The DICT and Cisco agreed to conduct workshops and facilitate the exchange of ideas on protecting the security of critical information systems in the Philippines.
DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said the initiative will help strengthen the capabilities of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT) on detecting and responding to cybersecurity threats.
“What we are lacking right now is the national computer emergency response team. Government agencies will be monitored by the NCERT that we are now creating, so if there is any unauthorized information that goes into their system, this could be prevented,” Rio said in a press briefing during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Cisco on Thursday night.
“We are starting with important government agencies. We will complete the whole government structure and then go into private companies to be part of this,” he added.
The National Cybersecurity Plan of the DICT mandates the government to build up its capability and capacity for quick response and recovery through the establishment of the NCERT.
The NCERT is an organization that studies computer and network security to provide incident response services to victims of attacks, publish alerts concerning vulnerabilities and threats, and offer other information to help improve computer and network security.
The DICT official said its partnership with Cisco will enhance its efforts to protect critical information infrastructures in the country.
“We are now coming up with an integrated and coordinated effort and we need the expertise of well-known companies like Cisco who are experts in cybersecurity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cisco-Philippines Managing Director Karrie Ilagan said they will coordinate with educational institutions to conduct cybersecurity workshops across the country.
“We will continue our efforts in education. Through our Cisco Networking Academy, we have worked with different educational institutions here and the government to help build skills,” Ilagan said.
“The Cisco Networking Academy has been there for two decades in the country. It is more than just holding workshops. It is really sharing our curriculum to help students get trained on certain courses,” she added.
The Cisco Networking Academy provides courses to organizations that are willing to strengthen its efforts to secure critical information within their systems.
The company has committed that it will work with government agencies and private companies on providing intelligence on cybersecurity threats and recommending measures to contain damage or deter them.
The DICT and Cisco will collaborate on specific programs to enhance the capacity and sophistication of cyberthreat response in the country.
The National Cybersecurity Plan 2022, which was launched last May 2017, aims to assure the continuous operation of the country’s critical information infrastructure; implement cyber resiliency measures to enhance the ability to respond to threats before, during and after attacks; effectively coordinate with law enforcement agencies; and boost cybersecurity awareness among citizens.
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