BPI hosts cybersecurity conference

In response to the escalating threat of cyber fraud and scams in the country, the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) continues to ramp up the nation’s cybersecurity strategies as it spearheads the BPI Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection Conference 2024 on July 31 at Fairmont Makati.

With the theme “Securing Consumer Trust and Fortifying Cyber-Resilience in an AI World,” the conference seeks to highlight the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to fostering cyber-resilience and pushing for support toward policies that promote consumer protection and cybersecurity. According to the Philippine National Police, cybercrime cases increased to 21,300 in 2023 from 13,890 in 2022.

“We are fully aware that cyberthreats are getting more sophisticated these days. It is therefore critical to be two steps ahead to address cyber scams and increase awareness of Filipinos about these illicit online activities. With the challenges at hand, we encourage interested individuals to attend the conference so they can learn about relevant plans, policies, and initiatives on cybersecurity and consumer protection in the time of artificial intelligence,” said TG Limcaoco, the BPI president and CEO.

BPI also aims to bring together cybersecurity subject matter experts from the National Privacy Commission, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Asian Institute of Management, and the USAID Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) project.

The conference forms part of BPI’s call for financial consumers to be more vigilant against cyber-related crimes by meticulously adopting cyber hygiene, which refers to one’s practice of maintaining secure and resilient data and devices.