Active socmed users more vulnerable to cyber risks

CEBU, Philippines — The sophistication of cyber-criminals taking advantage of digitalization does not only pose immense threats to companies, and government agencies but also to everyone, regardless of social status as long as they are active on social media platforms, a cybersecurity expert warned.

“In an interview with Resecurity's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ben Ouano, during his recent visit to Cebu, he stated that individuals who are overly exposed on social media platforms, sharing their activities, whereabouts, and personal information such as mobile numbers and addresses, are more vulnerable to 'personal identity' theft, which is now being monetized by hackers."

Identity theft is the crime of using the personal or financial information of another person to commit fraud, such as making unauthorized transactions or purchases.

Ouano, a Filipino-American of Cebuano descent was in Cebu recently to help strengthen awareness of the escalating cybersecurity threat in the Philippines, which endangers not only companies (big or small), and government agencies, but also everyone.

“Be mindful of what to post on social media. Social media can be used by threat actors to infiltrate,” he said.

He even suggested "faking" information details when downloading an app to avoid exposing sensitive information on the cloud.

“Bad people are trying to infiltrate the Philippines. These threat actors are lurking, and their objective is to take away the personal identities of Filipinos and use it to monetize and sell them,” Ouano further warned.

“They track everything about you,” he said.

Avoid Public WiFi

Ouano also emphasized the risks of using public WiFi networks saying “be wary of using public Wi-Fi networks, which pose significant risks to personal data security.

Logging into such networks could potentially expose individuals to various cyber threats, Ouano warned.

“Everyone should be scared,” he said because anyone is literally vulnerable to these hackers.

Remote workers should also avoid connecting with free WiFi networks as this will expose sensitive information of the companies they are working for, otherwise they are using VPN (virtual private network).”

He explained that when accessing public WiFi, also known as untrusted network, one should not open platforms or apps, which will expose personal information.

Ouano underscored the critical importance of safeguarding personal information online, emphasizing that cybersecurity threats remain ever-present.

Resecurity, in collaboration with local partner 888 Tech Exchange Ventures held a whole-day “Cyber Threat Intelligence 2024 Philippines” event at the Fairfield by Marriott in Mandaue City.

According to Ouano, the event kicked off Resecurity’s aggressive stance in helping the Philippines and Filipino mitigate risks in cyber war.

The discussion on cybersecurity awareness extends beyond personal defenses, the risks is also more serious in the government and businesses regardless sizes, he added.

Currently, Resecurity is working with government agencies like the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to enhance the country’s cybersecurity mechanisms.

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and threat intelligence for Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies worldwide.