MANILA, Philippines — Upgrading cybersecurity walls is one of the priorities of Philippine companies this year, as they face the threat of data breaches due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).
In a study conducted by tech giant Cisco, it was reported that 98 percent of Philippine firms plan to increase their spending on information technology (IT) upgrades in 2025.
More than half of organizations aim to raise IT spending by at least 10 percent, while 31 percent said they might exceed more than 30 percent.
For now, most Philippine entities remain far from being ready for cyber threats, as Cisco said only six percent of companies have achieved a mature level of preparedness to respond to the level of digital risks these days.
This may be an improvement from a year ago’s one percent, but Cisco noted this is far from what is desired. Cisco said the entry of AI in the picture has introduced a new set of complexities that companies have to deal with in scaling up their online defenses.
Given this, three in every four Philippine respondents to the study said they expect some form of business disruption over the next 24 months resulting from cyber attacks.
Further, the situation is compounded by the worsening talent gap in the IT industry, as 90 percent of Philippine organizations said it is hard to find skilled professionals these days.
The consequence of this talent shortage is that 52 percent of entities said they have more than 10 positions to fill right now in their IT departments.
Cisco Philippines managing director Zaza Soriano-Nicart said Philippine companies have to find ways to balance the risks and benefits of integrating AI in their operations. Without such balance, she warned that it would really be difficult to navigate the current cybersecurity landscape.
“AI opens up new possibilities, but also adds complexity to an already challenging cybersecurity landscape. Over the past year, we have seen companies worldwide, including in the Philippines, continue to grapple with evolving threats like the rise of shadow AI, talent shortage and complex security infrastructure,” Soriano-Nicart said.
Cisco chief product officer Jeetu Patel said companies have to invest in new solutions and think of fresh strategies to remain relevant in a time when AI is dominating the digital space.
The study gathered the insights of over 8,000 business leaders from across 30 territories in North America, Latin America, Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, including the Philippines.
