The Information Security Officers Group (ISOG) successfully held the first forum of the I AM SECURE 2023 on June 22 at the Makati Diamond Residences.
Following the overarching theme of ISOG’s cybersecurity campaign this year, “Strengthening Defenses: Continuing Digital Transformation,” the forum covered topics relevant to empowering IT security professionals in safeguarding the country’s digital landscape.
“At ISOG, our goal is to expand our reach and empower more white hat experts who share our mission of safeguarding individuals and organizations in the Philippines,” Chito Jacinto, vice president of ISOG and chair of the 2023 Events and Membership, said in his opening remarks. “While cyber threats and attacks may be plentiful, our consistent and collective efforts to strengthen our defenses will drive us toward achieving cybersecurity for our respective organizations and ultimately, our country.”
With a shared mission of strengthening the country’s information security, the event saw active participation from hundreds of local and international decision-makers, C-level executives, and cybersecurity experts. They gained valuable insights from various thought leaders and cybersecurity experts.
Cybersecurity in government
In her keynote address, Maricris Salud, deputy director for Cybersecurity and Oversight Group at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, discussed how to enhance the defenses of Philippine banks in the post-pandemic era. The special guest speaker, Emmanuel Barcena, president, and CEO of the Philippine Clearing House Corp., shared insights on strengthening automation in the clearing facility of banks in the country.
The forum also featured expert discussions on various cybersecurity-related topics, including malware evasion, zero trust architecture, optimal cloud security, and fintech cybersecurity. Notable speakers included Jannis Utz, AVP head of Sales Engineering in EMEA & APAC at Pentera; Guy Rosefelt, chief product officer of Sangfor through WSI; Jayesh Panicker, global solutions engineer of Sophos through WSI; Michael Cadiente, security engineering manager of Checkpoint; Jonathan John Paz, VP, EISO, and DPO of the Bank of the Philippine Islands; Rahim Malek, solutions consultant of Zscaler through Westcon; Chen Jun, cloud engagement director JAPAC of Palo Alto Networks through Westcon; and Jan Martin Encina, associate director and head of Information Security Governance & Operations of Maya.
Security in digital transformation
Participants also had the opportunity to learn from a panel discussion on security as an intrinsic component of digital transformation. Moderated by Ricson Singson Que, CEO, and president of SQrity Consulting, the panel discussion provided speakers with a platform to elaborate on the forum’s theme and share industry experiences related to the value of cybersecurity in the enterprise.
Organized by XMS, the first fin-person orum of the I AM SECURE 2023 is one of ISOG’s cybersecurity awareness programs. The media partners for the event were DIGI.PH, Back End News, and BusinessWorld.