With the growing urgency to strengthen digital defenses in the face of relentless cyber threats in the Philippines, the country’s leading fiber broadband and technology solutions provider, Converge, has stepped up to lead the conversation on resilience and showcased its latest innovation at an event with the theme “Cyber Resilience Check: Are You Ready for the Next Cyberattack?” this past Friday at the Grand Hyatt Manila.
Converge’s Cyber Resilience event focused on enhancing organizational preparedness against these cyber threats in the age of artificial intelligence. The event highlighted the importance of being ready for the next cyberattack in the current digital landscape while emphasizing the critical intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and the need to build a profound digital resilience.
Building on this concept, Converge’s Chief Commercial Advisor Sherie Ng spoke on “The Age of Intelligence: Why AI Is Everyone’s Business” during her keynote speech. She opened her talk by discussing the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and the accompanying risks and dangers of its even quicker widespread adoption.
Ms. Ng’s keynote tackled how the power of AI, while transformative and efficient, is a double-edged sword that must be wielded responsibly. She followed with an introduction on cybersecurity, current trends, the growing sophistication of cyberattacks, and challenges faced by both businesses and individuals. Converge’s Chief Commercial Advisor, who also serves as its Managing Director for Converge Global Business Group, concluded that leaders must ensure that AI literacy and adoption are embedded across all levels to gain a competitive edge through faster insights and quicker adaptation to market demands.
Meanwhile, Chief Technology Officer of Google Cloud Security & Mandiant in APJ, Steve Ledzian’s presentation “Boardroom Conversations” addressed a persistent challenge often confronted by cybersecurity experts today: nontechnical boards struggling to understand, address, and govern cyber risk. Framed by the question “Can you correct your board’s misconceptions on cyber risk?”, the talk addressed the most common misunderstandings in cybersecurity, such as compliance and infrastructure issues, and tips on how to fortify digital spaces beginning from the executive board.
Steve Ledzian, chief technology officer of Google Cloud Security & Mandiant in APJ, conducted a tabletop exercise where participants simulated responding to a live cyberattack scenario.
Packed with C-suite leaders in an exclusive setting, the event drew attention to the increasingly important role that decision-makers play in their companies’ cybersecurity strategies. Mr. Ledzian’s interactive exercise gave emphasis to both the technical aspects needed to respond to incidents and the significance of executive-level awareness during digital crises.
“Cybersecurity and resilience are essential tools for Philippine organisations in this fast-paced and expanding digital economy, which is increasingly a target for cyber threats. It’s imperative for businesses to move beyond reactive measures and adopt a preemptive, security-first approach. This means not only investing in advanced security technologies but also cultivating a culture of awareness and engagement throughout the organization. Readiness is key—understanding potential threats, having robust incident response plans, and regularly testing systems. Converge and Google Cloud Security are committed to supporting this journey with our cutting-edge solutions and expertise,” he explained.
The occasion’s main feature was a cybersecurity tabletop exercise titled “Cyber Extortion Simulation” led by Mr. Ledzian, where participating business leaders, C-suite executives, and IT experts simulated responding to a live cyberattack scenario from a chief information security officer’s perspective.
The real-time simulation placed the participants as the decision makers during an active attack on their e-commerce companies. Faced with digital threats like ransomware and cyberextortion, the audience was tasked to navigate through the crisis with limited information, under time pressure, and was made aware of the consequences of their actions once the activity was finished. The exercise served as a wake-up call, showing just how quickly things can spiral during a cyberattack—and why being prepared can make all the difference.
Converge’s cybersecurity solutions
As an effort to further strengthen the country’s digital defenses and help protect businesses against cyberattacks, Converge launched several solutions during its Cyber Resilience event, ranging from proactive assessments to rapid incident response tools designed to empower organizations with comprehensive protection and preparedness strategies.
Converge’s Cyber Resilience Event was attended by business leaders, C-suite executives, and IT experts of top Philippine companies.
Among the new offerings is the Zero Dollar Security and Vulnerability Retainer, which provides organizations with a biannual pre-attack surface management assessment. The product helps identify security risks and digital vulnerabilities, perfect for companies beginning to map out or looking to bolster their cybersecurity strategies.
Converge also introduced its Ransomware Defense Assessment to help businesses evaluate their ransomware preparedness and receive advice on security gaps. To complement this service, the company also made its Full Tabletop Exercise service available to test organizations and enhance their incident response capabilities in a controlled environment.
Businesses looking to revamp their digital protection can also benefit from Converge’s Incident Response Retainer to gain priority access to industry-leading experts and rapid incident response services in the event of a breach. Similarly, Cyber Crisis Communications Service equips executives and communication teams with the proper tools and strategies to manage reputational risks before they escalate.
For a more holistic and scalable solution to cyber threats and risks, the Converge Security Operations (SecOps Platform) brings unified threat detection, investigation, and response to a company’s digital space using the power of artificial intelligence.
With these tools in place, Converge is making it easier for businesses to take proactive steps in securing their digital assets and building long-term resilience. For more information about Converge’s latest products, visit www.convergeict.com. To explore tailored connectivity and technology solutions, reach out to the Converge Global Business Group at globalbusiness@convergeict.com.
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