Back-end offices at PH are ‘vulnerable to phishing,’ says Okta

Filipino companies serving as back-end offices for global brands are susceptible to phishing as more cybercriminals are looking for multiple entry points in their attacks, said IT service firm Okta.
According to Okta Asia-Pacific and Japan General Manager Ben Goodman, “[The] dominance of phishing attacks is more [evident in] Philippine companies [that] provide services to global companies today where there’s back-office, call center—those kinds of operations.”
He added that the Philippines has many companies that “fit that profile” and could become a big target for cybercriminals looking for an entry point.
Phishing is a method used by cybercriminals to steal private data. Goodman said that back-end employees could fall victim to these cyberattacks if they do not know how to use corporate digital platforms properly.
Goodman noted that unsuspecting employees might accidentally click on malicious links, highlighting companies’ need to educate them while putting up cybersecurity safeguard measures.
“The threat actors, they go after the weakest target in the ecosystem. They do calculations,” Okta CEO Todd McKinnon warned.
According to a study by independent risk advisory firm Kroll, 75% of enterprises in the country have dealt with a cyberattack, higher than the 59% average for the Asia-Pacific region.