FILIPINO micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) should use automated cybersecurity solutions powered by artificial intelligence (AI) amid rising cyber threats, according to Palo Alto Networks, Inc.
Small businesses could also save money by availing themselves of consolidated solutions for enterprise-grade security instead of buying several apps on firewalls and endpoints, Palo Alto Networks Country Manager Oscar Visaya told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a cybersecurity event on May 29.
“You will just have a single pane of glass for your endpoint, network security or for your Zero Trust Network Access, for all the things that you need to safeguard your business,” he said.
Automated cybersecurity replaces manual tasks done by cyber defenders by using AI to alert the company about customer issues, Mr. Visaya said.
And instead of hiring more workers, MSMEs can use managed service, a third-party provider that delivers solutions to be paid monthly.
But AI is not a silver bullet that can fix cybersecurity problems, said Steven Scheurmann, Palo Alto Networks regional vice-president of ASEAN.
“You have got to have a team that still runs and operates it,” he told BusinessWorld on June 5. “When you talk about SMEs in the Philippine market, the way that we deliver AI cyber solutions is through our partner ecosystem.”
He added that Palo Alto uses precision AI in its portfolio to counter cyberattacks.
Meanwhile, Kaspersky Presales Manager Eden M. Carreon said MSMEs don’t need the most advanced tools given their limited budget, but should practice basic cyber hygiene.
They should train their employees to be “human firewalls,” he said, as the cybersecurity firm said online attacks targeting Philippine companies more than tripled to 1.69 million last year from 2022.
Kaspersky earlier highlighted the urgency of boosting cyber defenses against web threats that can reverse the benefits of digitalization.
The global cybersecurity company said web threats detected and blocked among Southeast Asian companies only increased by 0.03% to 13.34 million.
These numbers were calculated using Kaspersky’s business-to-business products installed in companies of various sizes, it said.
Cybercriminals launched an average of 36,552 daily online attacks targeting businesses in the region last year, Kaspersky said, adding that the growth in the region’s digital economies has opened opportunities for both people and companies.
Kaspersky said local businesses should prioritize strengthening their cyber defenses against threats lurking online that can hamper their efforts to harness the benefits of digitalization.
Singaporean companies faced 86% more web threats last year at 1.65 million, while Thai companies had a 24% jump to 1.53 million, it said.
On the other hand, web threats on Indonesian companies fell by 23% to 4.97 million, while Malaysian businesses had 15% fewer attacks at 1.54 million. Vietnamese companies had 21% fewer attacks at 1.96 million. — ARAI
