Cybersecurity defenses in the Philippines remain inadequate as artificial intelligence risks escalate

Rewritten Article:

In 2025, a chilling report by Cisco exposes that a measly 6% of businesses in the Philippines have managed to reach a "mature" level of cybersecurity readiness. This staggering figure signifies a glaring vulnerability to modern threats, despite a marginal jump from the previous year's abysmal 1%.

The 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index illuminates the daunting complexities confronting security professionals due to hyperconnectivity and the swift integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It's a damning revelation that 85% of Philippine organizations have experienced AI-related security incidents in the past year.

The report screams of a writhing awareness gap, with only 71% of respondents confident that their staff grasp AI-related threats, and a meager 59% believing their teams understand how cybercriminals exploit AI for sophisticated attacks.

This ignorance intensifies a treacherous threat landscape, where over half (54%) of organizations in the Philippines have been hit by cyberattacks in the last year, often hampered by tricky security frameworks. As we look to the future, external threats take center stage, overshadowing internal ones.

Jeetu Patel, Cisco's Chief Product Officer, hammered home the urgency: "As AI revolutionizes enterprises, we are dealing with a new breed of risks on an unparalleled scale. Organizations must adapt promptly or risk becoming obsolete in the AI era."

The Index, derived from a survey of 8,000 security and business leaders across 30 global markets, scales readiness across five key pillars.

Disturbingly, 75% of Philippine respondents foresee business disruptions from cyber incidents within the next 12 to 24 months. While 93% use AI for threat understanding and 84% for detection and response, significant risks persist around the deployment of Generative AI (GenAI).

A startling 20% of organizations provide unrestricted GenAI access to employees, and 52% of IT teams struggle to monitor employee GenAI usage. Moreover, 57% lack faith in their ability to detect "shadow AI," and 92% see increased risks from unmanaged devices in hybrid work environments.

In spite of 98% planning IT infrastructure upgrades, only 49% spend over 10% of their IT budget on cybersecurity—a decrease from the previous year. Complex security infrastructure, which 82% of companies deploy 10 or more point solutions, hinders effective threat response. The deafening cry of 90% reveals a crippling shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals as a critical barrier.

Zaza Soriano-Nicart, Cisco Philippines' managing director, emphasized the need for a new approach to security: "This underscores the need for a novel strategy to security—one that not only leverages AI for security but also ensures AI itself is secure and scalable."

The report suggests that organizations in the Philippines focus on investments in AI-driven security solutions, simplify security infrastructures, boost AI threat awareness, and brace for the evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Recommendations:

AI Fortification: Integrating AI and machine learning technologies into cybersecurity systems for enhanced threat detection and response capabilities is crucial.
Network Resilience: Implementing advanced network security solutions can protect against AI-driven attacks, which often target network vulnerabilities.
Identity Intelligence: Strengthening identity access management through AI-driven tools can mitigate risks associated with AI-related threats.
Cloud Reinforcement: Enhancing cloud security with AI-powered solutions is vital for safeguarding data and applications from AI-based threats.
Outsourcing Capabilities: Outsourcing cybersecurity capabilities to managed service providers can prove effective for organizations lacking in-house AI security expertise.
Increased Cybersecurity Spending: Allocating more budget to address emerging AI-related threats is a wise move.
Assessment Tools: Utilize assessment tools like Cisco's Cybersecurity Readiness Assessment to evaluate current security posture and identify areas for improvement.

While these strategies are generally applicable, tailored recommendations for the Philippines may necessitate additional localized data and insights.

The dismal cybersecurity readiness of 85% of businesses in the Philippines, as revealed by Cisco's 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index, highlights the need to enhance cybersecurity, particularly in the face of hyperconnectivity and AI integration.
The report underscores the urgency for businesses in the Philippines to improve their AI threat awareness, as evidenced by the fact that only 71% of respondents are confident in their staff's understanding of AI-related threats.
The pervasive lack of cybersecurity professionals in the Philippines, as apparent in the 90% who see a skills shortage as a critical barrier, presents a significant challenge that organizations must address to bolster their cybersecurity.
Organizations in the Philippines need to focus on investments in AI-driven security solutions, as they are crucial for detecting and responding to AI-related threats effectively.
As external threats pose a significant risk, businesses in the Philippines must simplify their security infrastructures, reducing the reliance on 10 or more point solutions, to ensure prompt and effective threat response.

Cybersecurity defenses in the Philippines remain inadequate as artificial intelligence risks escalate