PHL firms lag in cybersecurity for AI adoption

Philippine companies still lack cybersecurity strategies to protect their businesses as they increase their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a global AI and cybersecurity firm.

“A lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Everyone’s talking about it; everyone’s curious to know more about AI,” Palo Alto Networks Country Director Bernadette L. Nacario told reporters in a press briefing.

“As to the preparedness and embracing cybersecurity that is embedded in the AI lifecycle, I don’t think we’re doing that,” she added.

A study commissioned by AI data activation company Boomi found that 73% of companies in the country are already running active AI initiatives, close to the regional average of 74%.

However, only 57% of the surveyed firms currently have formal AI-specific data governance frameworks, and nearly nine in 10 reported challenges from unmanaged shadow integrations.

“As they adopt AI, cybersecurity strategy needs to go hand in hand. Otherwise, it will create a lot of problems moving forward,” Ms. Nacario said. “It needs to be embedded in their overall business strategy.”

The Palo Alto Networks executive also described the country’s security measures for AI adoption as in the “infancy stage”, underscoring the need to remain competitive with neighboring countries.

“When I think of AI and how cybersecurity should align to AI, I think there’s still so much work that needs to be done,” Ms. Nacario said. “Securing your operations in the past is different now with AI in place, those are two different things.”

“We are working very closely with the government, the different agencies, the different private sectors, to ensure that we have the right policies in place,” she added.

The firm noted that AI has accelerated threat actors’ speed, increasing the timeline from compromise to data exfiltration by up to four times.

Attackers have also sped up scanning for new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) within 15 minutes of an announcement, and increased AI attacks in supply chains by almost four times.

“The main goal right now is to make AI really built-in, rather than bolt-in,” Palo Alto Networks System Engineering Head Jobert David said in the same event.

“Let’s not make security just like an afterthought…top of mind should be AI should be built-in, should be secured, even on day one, upon its conception,” he added.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said that the Philippines’ AI market is projected to reach US$ 3,487.70 million by 2030, up from US$772.10 million in 2024. — Almira Louise S. Martinez