Trend Micro, USAID to boost PH cybersecurity
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Cybersecurity firm Trend Micro has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen the cybersecurity capabilities of Filipinos.
Trend Micro will collaborate with USAID’s Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) project to provide more training opportunities for Philippine citizens and close skill gaps in the cybersecurity field.
“With BEACON’s support, we can further improve the Philippines’ cyber resilience by reaching more Filipinos,” said Trend Micro Chief Information Officer Max Cheng.
Trend Micro and BEACON will conduct a boot camp on advanced persistent threats and malware analysis to build cybersecurity expertise. This aligns with Trend Micro’s existing university and law enforcement partnerships.
The initiative addresses vulnerabilities highlighted in a USAID study showing the Philippines has significantly fewer cybersecurity professionals than regional competitors in the $23 billion IT-BPO sector.
BEACON warned that deficiencies in Philippine cyber defenses could put the 75% share of the BPO industry accounted for by US contracts at risk.
Developing cyber talent and infrastructure has become an urgent priority to secure critical systems against sophisticated threats. Failure to do so risks missed economic opportunities and potential attacks on critical infrastructure.
Partnerships between the private sector and groups like USAID aim to boost Philippine cyber capabilities quickly. However, greater national investment is needed to fully develop the cyber workforce and talent pipeline.
