Technology alone can’t protect your business against cyber threats – ePLDT

Due to the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), information is being collected at an unprecedented rate, with much of it being highly personal and confidential. It is because of this that cybersecurity is of much greater importance today.

Angel Redoble

ePLDT, an industry-leading provider of digital business solutions to enterprises in the Philippines, is warning local companies that employing data security software and hardware is not enough to combat cyber-threats. This is according to its newly appointed head of cybersecurity.

“Companies that focus on data security technology alone unfortunately do not understand cybersecurity,” said Angel Redoble, Chief Information Security Officer of ePLDT. 

“Because a single attack can affect every department of a company, cybersecurity therefore should be approached holistically by integrating it in every aspect, not just in technology. To do this, a company must first focus on having a strict protocol or process and must have the right people who are skilled to combat different kinds of threats. Once these are integrated with the appropriate technology, a company can achieve business resiliency.”

This crucial insight follows on the heels of Ernst & Young’s Global Information Security Survey of 2016 and 2017 which reveals that 64% of 1,735 firms surveyed, which includes Philippine companies, admitted that they have zero or mere informal threat intelligence programs. Moreover, 42% do not have an agreed communications strategy or plan in place in the event of a significant attack.

A security process or program provides the framework for keeping a company at a desired security level by assessing the risks, deciding how to mitigate them, and planning on how to keep programs and practices up to date. ePLDT notes that this is where most companies fail because they only treat cybersecurity as technology or software.

“The hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities that are recorded every day plus the evolving hacking methods just goes to show that like a process, cybersecurity is a never-ending journey and should be evolved to mitigate & manage new threats,” said Redoble.

Data security skills on the other hand are also crucial since a skilled workforce can identify and therefore understand how to handle the vast majority of threats to data, like malware or hackers seeking confidential information.

Redoble recognizes that some institutions do not employ cybersecurity because of financial constraints but also notes that this should not stop them because the tradeoffs are more than beneficial for a company’s performance and existence. 

“Thanks to growing trends, not deploying cybersecurity is and will become more costly in the future. Companies who are serious about surviving must place it as a business imperative as a single attack can break any business.”

Fortunately due to the current trends and developments in cybersecurity, businesses can now achieve the process, technology, and skills to uphold security through inexpensive means. By administering an assessment of their current capabilities, a company can already set certain protocols while the lack of skills problem can be addressed by teaching the staff how to recognize an attack.

With regards to technology, Redoble notes that there are various data security measures that are being offered subscription-based. However, applying these three may leave a company’s in-house I.T. department drained and will lead them to focus on security rather than boosting productivity. As a solution, Redoble recommends to partner with an end-to-end data security provider.

As a leader in data security services in the country, ePLDT’s Cyber Security portfolio is a suite of services that cover devices, systems, processes, and expertise, designed to defend enterprises from multiple security risks, evolving threats, and malicious software attacks. The portfolio is further boosted by ePLDT’s vast infrastructure network due to its 9 state-of-the art data centers and is recognized internationally through its ISO 27001:2005 Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification.

To know more about ePLDT’s cybersecurity offerings, visit www.epldt.com/solutions/cyber-security/.

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Amaia Skies Shaw tops off North Tower in Mandaluyong

Amaia Skies Shaw North Tower

Amaia Skies Shaw North Tower recently held a topping off ceremony to signify that the construction of its North tower has reached the highest point. This means that the Mandaluyong property will soon open its doors to new residents.

The event was attended by the Makati Development Corporation (MDC) BuildPlus team, design partners and key officials from Amaia Land Corp.

“We are very excited that the North Tower has finally been topped off. This means completion is only a few months away, and that Amaia Skies Shaw will soon roll out the welcome mat to its new homeowners,” said Joel Punzalan, Amaia GEO head for North Luzon.

The North Tower is the first building of the two-tower Amaia Skies Shaw, which is located on Shaw Boulevard cor. Samat Street, in Barangay Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City.

Strategically located in the heart of Metro Manila, Amaia Skies Shaw makes its residents close to the Metro Rail Transit system (MRT) and other public transportation like jeepneys, buses, and shuttle services.

Inside the model unit

The Mandaluyong project is also near schools and universities, recreational centers, the Ortigas central business district, the Makati central business district, and commercial hubs like EDSA Central, Starmall, Shangri-La Plaza, and SM Megamall.

From left: Royce Regala, Amaia area manager; Joel Punzalan, Amaia GEO head for N. Luzon; Raizel Matibag Amaia project dev manager for North of M. Manila; Kathy Mamaril, Amaia sales GEO head for M. Manila; Engr. Jenilyn Figueroa, MDC BuildPlus QA Head; Engr. Jose Carlo Chavez, PIC for Amaia Skies Shaw; Ching Higino, Amaia sales GEO head for N. Luzon; Janine Miranda, Amaia labor relations officer and Augusto Baet, operation center head.

With 34 residential floors, Amaia Skies Shaw offers 1,348 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, all telephone- and cable-ready, fully equipped with sprinkler systems and emergency lights, kitchen sinks with base cabinets, complete toilet and bath fixtures, and provisions for washer/dryer.

For recreation, residents of Amaia Skies Shaw can head to The Deck amenity area, which features a swimming pool, a garden, and a multi-function hall. They may also check out the stalls at the project’s future retail area.

With Amaia Land’s vision of providing modern and affordable condo living to Filipino families, prospective homeowners can opt for various flexible payment methods.

Work visa scam ripped off Filipino migrants: NZ officials

By Philippine News Agency

New Zealand immigration officials admitted Tuesday that they had only touched the surface of an elaborate immigration scam that ripped of migrant Filipino workers.

Loraine Jayme, a dual Filipino-New Zealand national, had pleaded guilty to 284 charges involving multiple fraudulent work visa applications submitted by Filipinos seeking work in the New Zealand dairy industry, said the government’s Immigration New Zealand (INZ) agency.

“Jayme systematically ripped off vulnerable migrant workers,” INZ assistant general manager Peter Devoy said in a statement.

“Although these charges are very serious, we believe they only represent the tip of the iceberg of Jayme’s offending.”

Jayme was charged in October 2015 after INZ staff verifying visa applications identified anomalies in visa applications and a farmer reported migrants claiming he had offered them work without his knowledge.

The investigation was far reaching, but the prosecution focused on five non-existent dairy farms and fictitious employers created by Jayme through a complex series of forged documents, submitted to both INZ and other New Zealand agencies, said Devoy.

She fabricated job offer letters and employment agreements, including false farm vacancy requests, in order to obtain letters confirming the unavailability of suitably qualified New Zealanders.

Jayme admitted charges of forgery, using a forged document, deception and supplying false or misleading information to an immigration officer.

She was sentenced to 11 months and two weeks home detention and 180 hours community work.

Advisory : PAL tells passengers: Be at airport 5 hours before departure

MANILA - Philippine Airlines on Tuesday advised passengers of international flights to be at the airport up to five hours before departure in anticipation of long lines at immigration counters.

"Please come early in anticipation of long immigration lines," the flag carrier said.

Immigration officers have gone on mass leave to protest alleged non-payment of overtime work.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, who said more than 30 personnel have resigned and 50 others are on leave, admitted that the problem may extend until the Holy Week.

Read full advisory below:

"Tinatawagan ng pansin ang mga pasahero ng Philippine Airlines na paalis patungong ibang bansa:  

Sikaping makarating sa airport (NAIA Terminal 2) para makapag-check-in sa inyong flight ng apat hanggang limang (4-5) oras bago ang takdang oras ng lipad dahil sa kakulangan ng tauhan sa Immigration counters na nagdudulot ng mahabang pila. 

Agahan po ang pagpunta sa airport dahil mahaba ang pila sa Immigration. 

Salamat po."

Manila International Aviation Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal insisted, however, that they have a "contingency plan" to ensure normal operation despite the mass leave.

Get Your Tickets to Lea Salonga’s Star-Studded Concert with the Next Disney Princess

Everyone knows Lea Salonga as the Disney Legend who provided the vocals of Disney Princesses Jasmine and Fa Mulan in Aladdin and Mulan. Apart from her work with the Walt Disney Company, she has stunned audiences worldwide for her Tony Award-winning runs in Broadway and the West End for her role as Kim in Miss Saigon, and both Eponine and Fantine in Les Miserables. Now, the legend is crowning a new Disney Princess at the upcoming Disney Princess: I Dare to Dream gala concert!

The concert is the finale of Globe Studios’ I Dare to Dream, a first-of-its-kind, digital reality series in collaboration with Disney and Maker Studios, that will search for the next Disney Princess from a group of six young girls. Salonga will award the winner during the event, and will headline the concert featuring Disney classics.

“Globe has always committed itself to creating original digital content to complement the brand’s fast internet speeds, and the rapidly-changing ways Filipinos are consuming entertainment,” says Executive Producer and Globe Retail Transformation and Stores Management Advisor Joe Caliro. “But we feel an initiative of this magnitude shouldn’t end digitally. We want to end it with a bang, with a live concert featuring Lea Salonga and the country’s best singers.”

Apart from Salonga, the star-studded concert will also performances with Christian Bautista, KC Concepcion, Erik Santos, Julie Ann San Jose, Sam Concepcion, Morissette Amon, Aicelle Santos, Tippy Dos Santos, and Janina Vela.

I Dare to Dream is inspired by Disney Princesses, whose stories have moved both children and adults throughout the years. For the show, Globe Studios handpicked six young girls out of hundreds who auditioned, whose personalities and values reflect that of Disney princesses. The six girls will stay in one house and undergo fun challenges while enjoying a mentorship program.

The six selected girls are Sirach Catipay, an aspiring chef who wants to share the world’s cuisines with the Filipino people; Stephanie Jordan, a singing competition contestant who wants to enter the world of hosting; Hyacinth Leonado, who dreams of becoming a Broadway singer and actress;Jaden Narvios, who wants to be the president of the Philippines; Liana San Diego, who wants to be a veterinarian; and Alexi Tan, who dreams of becoming an animator.

The girls will be mentored by Ms. Salonga, along with experts in the respective fields the girls dream of entering: chef Jessie Sincioco, YouTuber and host Charisma Star, theater actress Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, social educator Efren Peñaflorida, veterinarian Dr. Nielsen Donato, and animator Tito Romero. The girls will be joined by vlogger Janina Vela, who will serve as the guiding elder sister.

“I Dare to Dream hopes to inspire girls that there are other young ladies like them, who do not necessarily fit in any of society’s molds,” ends Caliro. “It hope to show that one day, you can share the stage with someone like Lea Salonga and turn your dreams into a reality.”

The winner will also have the chance to take the trip of a lifetime: to walk the red carpet premiere of the upcoming live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast in Tokyo, Japan.

The I Dare to Dream concert will be held on March 22, 2017 at the SM MOA Arena. Tickets are available for purchase at www.smtickets.com. 

You can fully experience the magic of Disney Princess: I Dare To Dream on www.idaretodream.ph.

All Globe Prepaid, TM, Postpaid, and Globe At Home customers can avail of 10% discount on the tickets. Text GLOBEIDTD to 2363 to get the code. All Disney 129 & 299 customers will automatically receive a unique code from Globe to avail a 15% discount on the ‘I Dare To Dream’ concert tickets. Promo period is until March 19.

BOC to intensify campaign against fake cigarettes amid TRO

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) remains firm in its position to intensify operations against importers and manufacturers of smuggled and fake cigarettes despite a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued in favor of a cigarette manufacturing company.

A TRO was issued on March 6, 2017 by Judge Tita Bughao Alisuag of the Manila Regional Trial Court, Branch 1, which prevents BOC from conducting raids or inspections at the warehouses of Mighty Corporation for a period of 20 days - from March 3 to 23, 2017.

“Yes, we will abide by the TRO, but we are not discounting the legal remedies available to us to counter the said TRO,” Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said.

Prior to the issuance of the TRO, BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) conducted a series of raids which resulted in the seizure of thousands of cases of cigarettes with fake tax stamps amounting to more than a billion pesos.

These operations were carried out upon the issuance of Mission Orders and Letters of Authority from Faeldon. BIR operatives confirmed that the seized tax stamps were fake after subjecting them to authenticity tests.

Faeldon said that Customs authorities will remain on guard at the warehouses of Mighty Corp. to ensure that the seized cigarettes will not be tampered with or swapped with legitimate products.

The BOC Commissioner remains optimistic that after gathering all relevant evidence, the bureau will be able to build a strong case against Mighty Corp.

“We are assuring the public and all legitimate manufacturers and importers of cigarettes or any other products that the BOC will run after illicit traders and smugglers.”

The BOC has exclusive jurisdiction over all seizure and forfeiture cases as per Section 202 of Rep. Act No. 10863 or the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act” (CMTA).

Section 301 of the CMTA further provides that “[a]ll goods, including means of transport, entering or leaving customs territory, regardless of whether they are liable to duties and taxes, shall be subject to customs control" to ensure compliance with the border security mandate of the BOC under relevant customs laws, rules, and procedures.