BPOs told to prioritize cybersecurity systems

CEBU, Philippines — The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) urged Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies to prioritize as a core component of their operational strategies to protect a more secure and resilient industry.

CCAP president Mickey Ocampo made this call amid the threat of cybersecurity risks, which may disrupt operations across industries.  Because of this, CCAP is leading an initiative to collaborate in developing solutions to enhance cybersecurity across subsectors and BPO firms.

“Continuous engagement and investment in innovative security technologies are critical for maintaining global competitiveness and trust,” Ocampo said adding that digital trust is pivotal in the Contact Center and Business Process sector.

“We must earn clients’ trust and assure them that their sensitive information is always

handled with utmost integrity and security,” he said.

“To build and maintain trust, BPO firms must demonstrate transparency, accountability, and reliability in their cybersecurity practices. We must also demonstrate our strong commitment to digital trust to establish our sector as leaders in the IT-BPM industry and to cement our competitive advantage in the global market,” Ocampo further explained.

As early as 2022, there have been warnings about existing gaps in cybersecurity capacity in the Philippines. A report in the same year by the United States Agency for International

Development (USAID) alerted the IT-BPM industry that up to 75 percent of the BPO segment could be at risk if cyberattacks and cyberfraud were not properly addressed and prevented.

The study also highlighted the shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the country.   In August, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) made public the national strategies for National Cyber Security Plan (NCSP) 2023-2028. Those include the establishment of a national network of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and a National Cybersecurity Intelligence Fusion Center that would oversee all sectors. There would also be an ICT Academy with a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to bolster the capabilities of cybersecurity professionals in the country.

For its part, CCAP has already implemented a system that its members could use to reference online fraud-related issues. The system has been fully reviewed by the National Privacy Commission and approved for use subject to policies and guidelines on the use of the system.

“CCAP has always been taking the proactive approach because we understand that security breaches can significantly and abruptly disrupt services and operations, which may lead to financial losses, damaged reputations, and undermined client trust,” said Ocampo.

CCAP is gathering top executives and managers from business continuity planning (BCP), security, IT, compliance, and risk management departments of member companies for the Digital Trust Summit on September 16, 2024 at The Westin Manila in Mandaluyong City. The daylong conference is aimed at equipping attendees with the tools and knowledge to navigate trust and risk in the digital age. — (FREEMAN)