Cybersecurity firm opens Philippine hub

MANILA, Philippines — Cybersecurity provider Inspira Enterprise has set up a hub in the Philippines, one of only five investigation centers worldwide, to cater to clients in Asia and the Pacific.

Inspira will open next month its Cyber Fusion Center (CFC) in the Philippines, also the only one in Southeast Asia, to serve the cybersecurity demands of the country and the region.

Inspira uses its CFCs around the globe as investigation centers where they do all of their critical activities like detecting threats, gathering data, and responding to risks.

The CFC is situated at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, acting as the in-country service center for local conglomerates. Likewise, the facility serves as the near shore option for Inspira clients in Asia and the Pacific, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Inspira president for ASEAN Josef Figueroa said the CFC can address most cybersecurity threats that regional firms face. For one, the facility houses both network operations center and security operations center, allowing Inspira to integrate all of their solutions under one roof.

In an interview with reporters, Figueroa said Inspira decided to locate in the Philippines to serve domestic clients given the prevalence of data attacks here.

Inspira sales director for the Philippines Jose Maria Palanca noted that the transition to digital during the pandemic has triggered a resurgence of cybersecurity threats to banks and their customers.

With this, Palanca said Inspira can work with Philippine banks in raising their capacity to detect malicious activities targeting the financial sector.

Palanca said banks spend millions of dollars just to build up their cybersecurity framework as directed by regulators. They have to invest in cybersecurity controls to ensure that their internal and external software, including apps, are safe and secure.

On the personnel side, Inspira will hire local talents from the information technology industry to support the recovery of employment in the pandemic aftermath. To date, Inspira employs 17 staff in the Philippines, but it targets it to grow to 200 moving forward.

Inspira executives said the CFC in Taguig City would just be the first of several investments the firm will make in the country and in Southeast Asia.

Outside of the Philippines, Inspira operates CFCs in Dallas, US; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Mumbai and New Delhi in India.