Fortinet, a leading cybersecurity solutions and services firm, revealed that the rise in cybersecurity breaches among organizations is largely linked to a shortage of skilled professionals. According to the group’s recent survey, 94% of organizations in the Philippines experienced a breach in the past year, with 77% of these incidents attributed to the skills gap.
Additionally, research data from the World Economic Forum found that cyberattacks rank among the top five risks threatening society, with AI-generated misinformation and disinformation taking the second spot. Both of these risks are driven by technological advancements, with malware, phishing, and web attacks topping the list of cyber threats.
.jpg)
.jpg)
"This emphasizes the urgent need for organizations in the Philippines to continue addressing the cybersecurity skills shortage to strengthen their security posture," said Fortinet Philippines Country Manager Alan Reyes. "Our latest report shows that organizations are actively making efforts to bridge this gap, such as diversifying their candidate pools, and we are seeing significant improvement in the Philippines."
Reyes also emphasized the importance of investing in training and certifications for IT and security teams, educating employees about threats and best practices in cyberspace, and implementing the right technologies to enhance resilience.
With the skills gap continuing to impact companies in the Philippines, more organizations are moving in this direction.
In line with this trend, there has been a significant increase in demand for candidates with experience in network engineering and security, as hiring managers focus on recruiting individuals with technology-focused certifications. However, companies still face the challenge of finding the right candidates due to a scarcity of skilled professionals.
To address this issue, Fortinet has partnered with the Philippine Society of Information Technology Educators (PSITE), the largest organization of IT educators in the country, to raise awareness and help organizations train their teams to build cyber resiliency.
The partnership focuses on a three-pronged approach to strengthening cyber defenses, combining training, awareness, and technology.
 |
| Left to right: PSITE President Dr. Joey Suba, Fortinet Philippines Country Manager Alan Reyes |
Currently, Fortinet offers one of the broadest training and certification programs in the industry through their award-winning Fortinet Training Institute, alongside the largest integrated portfolio of more than 50 enterprise-grade products through their Fortinet Security Fabric.
While the battle against cybersecurity threats is far from over, these organizations are taking proactive steps to close the skills gap and enhance their defenses. By leveraging Fortinet's comprehensive training programs and cutting-edge security solutions, they are better equipped to protect their networks and data from the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.
Learn about Fortinet’s free cybersecurity training, which includes broad cyber awareness and product training
As part of the Fortinet Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), the Fortinet Training Institute also provides training and certification through the Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification, Academic Partner, and Education Outreach programs.