Palo Alto Networks, a global cybersecurity leader, recently held its flagship event, Ignite on Tour, at the Grand Hyatt Manila, underscoring the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity.

The event, themed securing the future with AI-driven solutions, brought together industry partners, customers, and cybersecurity experts to explore the increasing impact of AI on the cybersecurity landscape and the evolving threat tactics in the Philippines.

As one of ASEAN’s fastest-growing digital economies, the Philippines faces significant vulnerability to evolving cyber threats, including ransomware and AI-driven attacks.

Recent research by Palo Alto Networks revealed that manufacturing is the most targeted industry in ASEAN due to limited system visibility and inadequate network monitoring.

This trend is particularly concerning for Filipino organizations using operations technology systems, where 76.5 percent experienced attacks in the past year, according to Palo Alto Networks’ State of OT Security report. Furthermore, 70.6 percent of these organizations are worried about AI-enabled attacks.

“AI is a breakthrough year for enterprises, transforming how we operate,” Steven Scheurmann, ASEAN vice president at Palo Alto Networks, said.

“However, adversaries are also leveraging AI to accelerate, scale up, and innovate their attacks. With its high Internet penetration rate and use of multiple devices, enterprises in the Philippines are highly susceptible to these threats,” he explained.

To combat these challenges, Scheurmann stressed the need for Filipino organizations to harness AI’s strengths to enhance security, visibility, and automation in their security processes.

Steven Scheurmann also emphasized that in the Philippines, experiencing a breach is somewhat of a taboo, making it challenging to promptly gather accurate information on how the breach occurred. This cultural reluctance to disclose breaches hinders the ability to quickly implement effective security solutions and address vulnerabilities.

AI vs AI

In response to the rise of AI-powered threats, Palo Alto Networks has introduced Precision AI, which integrates machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and generative AI (GenAI) for real-time defense against AI-supported threat tactics.

Precision AI is embedded across Palo Alto Networks’ platforms, including Strata, Prisma, and Cortex, providing enhanced capabilities for organizations to safeguard their operations.

Partnership with DSWD:

A Case Study in AI-Driven Security

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Philippines has partnered with Palo Alto Networks to bolster its cybersecurity measures. Assistant Secretary Julius Gorospe, CIO of DSWD, elaborated on the agency’s security challenges, which included fragmented cybersecurity measures, server outages, and a lack of comprehensive incident response playbooks. These issues expanded DSWD’s attack surface, increasing the risk of data breaches due to limited visibility and slower incident response times.

Gorospe highlighted that the department faces 25,000 attacks per month and emphasized that it would be practically impossible for their security engineers to manage these alone, necessitating augmentation by AI-driven cybersecurity.

Leveraging Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 Incident Response (IR) services and AI-driven solutions like Cortex XSIAM and Cortex XDR, DSWD has enhanced its cybersecurity posture and proactively prevented future threats.

This partnership exemplifies how organizations can effectively combat cyber threats by integrating AI-powered solutions.

To stay ahead of AI-driven threats, Palo Alto Networks recommends organizations prioritize the following actions:

1. Invest in AI-powered cybersecurity solutions: Allocate resources to implement defense systems that can adapt to evolving threats in real time.

2. Collaborate and share threat intelligence: Enhance collective defense by sharing threat intelligence with industry peers and security communities.

3. Foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness: Educate employees about the risks and best practices related to AI-driven cyberattacks.

4. Stay updated with evolving AI technologies: Keep informed about new AI technologies and their potential applications in cybersecurity. (To be continued)