Internet and digital services provider, Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is urging the government to include cybersecurity in the foundational years of Filipino students.

“We must include cybersecurity in the curriculum, not just in college or master’s levels but early on,” Laurice Esteban-Tuason said Wednesday during the financial technology and cybersecurity forum organized by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines recently held at the AIM in Makati City.

“We emphasize cybersecurity in the primary years because that’s where the exposure starts,” she stressed.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), most Filipino kids start using the internet at age 10 to mostly communicate with others through Facebook.

At least 13 years old

UNICEF shared that children usually create their own social media accounts or with the help of their parents as Facebook requires that account owners must be at least 13 years old.

“While many children do not necessarily feel safe online, they still tend to expose themselves either knowingly or unknowingly to several risks through the way in which data and information are shared on their profiles,” UNICEF said.

Cybersecurity deals with the improper use of the internet and other telecommunications, such as stealing personal data and disrupting or stopping computer programs in gadgets to accomplish crimes like identity and financial theft.

“Learning about new technologies must coincide with learning about cybersecurity,” Tuason said.

The Philippine National Police reported cybercrimes in the country jumped by 22 percent in the first quarter of the year amid the popularity of digital platforms, reflecting 4,469 cases from 3,668 recorded in the same period in 2023.

Better leaders

By developing critical cybersecurity knowledge among the youth, she said the country could have more efficient companies and secure consumers.

“In our company, training is not just done in front of a computer. We ask what is cybersecurity and what it means to the business. So, there should be a purpose and an opportunity to grow,” Tuason said.

As cybercriminals catch up with the latest technologies, IBM said the global economy could lose $10.5 trillion per year by 2025.

The technology firm said that means companies would need 85 million workers with some knowledge and skills in cybersecurity by 2030.

“Companies must adopt a strategic mindset so they can raise leaders on cybersecurity, not just operational guys who can be tapped when there is already a problem,” Tuason said.