THE Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday announced it will build a “cyber workforce” that will secure and defend the military’s information networks and systems.
Armed Forces spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo made the statement after various groups started using the internet as a platform for attacks.
He made the statement after the military concluded its Cybersecurity Summit aimed at educating and informing its members about the latest trends in Cybersecurity.
“It is high time the AFP raised awareness for a secure and resilient AFP cyberspace as we adapt to the rapid technological advancements brought by the digital age,” Arevalo said
The two-day summit was spearheaded by the Office of the Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Communication Electronics and Information System. It took place on June 28 to 29 in Camp Aguinaldo.
The meeting gathered some of the military’s information technology experts and representatives from the CEIS offices of the AFP Major Services and Unified Commands, Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard.
Resource persons from the Department of Information and Communications Technology, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, National Privacy Commission and other partners from the private sector attended the event.
Among the topics discussed in the summit were the National Cybersecurity Plan 2022, Data Privacy Act of 2012, Cyber Crime and Prevention, and Cyber Threat Awareness and Updates.
Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff for CEIS Major Gen. Jose Tanjuan Jr. said his office had been developing a plan to enhance the military’s cyberspace capabilities.
“The development of the AFP Cyberspace Strategic Plan is one of the thrusts of the AFP in attaining information security,” Tanjuan said.
“It will provide the Armed Forces with a road map that will lead us to the realization of a fully cyberspace-capable organization by 2022.”
The AFP Cyberspace Strategic Plan is expected to be finalized within the third quarter of 2017.
