PLDT joins global cyberdefense council

Leading Philippine telco PLDT, Inc. through its Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Angel T. Redoble, has joined a global council of cybersecurity experts to promote a more proactive cybersecurity stance in securing networks, assets and customers.   

The newly formed Cyber Defenders Council, an independent group of cybersecurity leaders from around the world, espouses the "Defend Forward" approach, entailing proactively disrupting malicious cyber activity before it reaches its target. 

"[The Council] is something that the community needs. For the longest time, we have been working in silos. While our enemies are banding together, getting stronger and better, we the good guys are doing things on our own," Redoble said. "We have reached the part where we not only collaborate but work together on a tactical and operational perspective." 

“Defend Forward is a cyber strategy to proactively stop malicious cyber activity before it reaches its target… This is a concept that came out from the U.S. Department of Defense, and we are embracing it in Cybereason,” explained Eric Nagel, General Manager, APAC, at Cybereason. “One of the first things we did this year as part of this push for Defend Forward is to collaborate with leading CISOs in every country in numerous different verticals. If we can connect the dots, then we’ll be more effective at stopping what’s going on.” 

For Redoble, it is important to keep abreast with ever evolving cyberthreats, especially since Philippine cyberspace is continuously growing. 

"Cyberspace is highly dynamic. It is the only space that is growing: Our land is no longer growing, our air territory is not growing, our water territory is not growing. However, Philippine cyberspace is growing. And in that environment, the threats are growing, and the enemies are getting better. We cannot afford to be stagnant," Redoble said. "We are always looking for partners who can commit to sustainable and growing sophistication. That's how this partnership with Cybereason came about." 

Nagel hopes that the Council will also surface more success stories in various industries. "If we all join forces to defend aggressively using the latest technologies and share best practices, then we'll be able to share more good stories," Nagel said. 

Redoble said cybersecurity will only become more challenging, with decision-makers still slow to accept cybersecurity as important to business. 

"Technologies like Cybereason will continue to grow in terms of sophistication and intelligence. However, if an organization's mindset won’t change, the probable targets will continue to be vulnerable. The success of a cybersecurity practice starts with support from the decision makers," said Redoble. 

Last year, the PLDT Group invested close to P2 billion into its cybersecurity operations center to combat cyberthreats.