In its 5th year, the annual Decode cybersecurity conference gathered over 1,200 Filipino IT professionals from the country and worldwide on its first day alone. Just like in the previous years, the biggest cybersecurity summit in the country was held virtually this year, for the second consecutive year, due to the ongoing pandemic.
Trend Micro Philippines, the event’s organizer, made sure Decode 2021 would remain worthwhile even amid the challenges of the times. With the theme ‘DEC1DE, DECODE,’ the 2-day summit (held on November 10 and 11, 2021) aimed at engaging participants across the industry to discuss the latest trends, new technologies, and anticipated threats across the new-normal IT landscape.
“At Trend Micro, we’re engineered to do good and committed to our mission of helping create a safer online environment for all, especially as the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of most organizations and businesses,” said Trend Micro Philippines Director of Threat Hunting Alma Saturnino-Alvarez.
“Decode is perhaps one of our biggest undertakings—a gathering of experts from here and all over the world to tackle the most pressing cybersecurity issues, address and anticipate threats, and explore how we can all work together to ensure that organizations and individuals remain safe and secure online,” she added.
Event emcee Paolo Cabrera
Here are the highlights of Decode 2021 from some of the most noted key sessions from the event:
Now, Else Be Too Late: Relevant Just-in-Time Decisions
In his session, Trend Micro’s Director of Global Operations, Managed XDR Jay Yaneza introduced the primary theme of the conference; making critical, yet timely decisions in order to prevent or resolve threats. Beyond the technicalities behind resolving a threat is a team’s ability to make quick, yet informed decisions during the most extreme situations. Yaneza shared examples of instances when timing and execution were critical, and also discussed the value of prevention and foresight. He closed his session with a reminder to ”keep calm and carry on” and goes on to emphasize how “IT staff should make sure they are measuring the right things because these decision points will come to bare after the incident.”
Ransomware: 2021 Threat Landscape
To present another facet of the cybersecurity industry, FBI Intelligence Assistant Legal Attaché Lauren Seawright went over the current threat landscape and how it has evolved both in the Philippines and globally in the past few years. Drawing as well from her experience as the Intelligence Analyst assigned to the cyber squad in FBI’s Anchorage and Boston Divisions, the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Portland, Maine, and the economic crimes squad, Seawright gave valuable insights on current and foreseeable trends in how Philippine companies are combatting these attacks.
Cybercrime Through the Lens of Law Enforcement and Private Partners
From another expert involved in law enforcement, Shane Cross gives viewers a brief background on the work of INTERPOL and how the cybercrime division operates in partnership with international governments. Cross also discusses how cybercrimes during the time of Covid-19 have evolved and other evolving threats in the current landscape. Scams have been tailored around themes of Covid-19 and healthcare, as well as cybercrimes executed around cryptocurrency. Cross emphasizes that it is most important that we cooperate with local enforcement, to effectively and efficiently shut down such threats.
The Evolution of a CISO Role
VP and Group Chief Information Security Officer of Meralco Mel Migriño during her session discussed the role of the CISO, or Chief Information Security Officer. Migriño discussed how the role has evolved from the traditional responsibilities of the CISO, as well as how the CISO is involved and engaged across the various departments of an organization. She also talked about the “Next Generation CISO” and the qualities they must possess, such as having a moral compass and being ready to go beyond what is asked.
Get IT Girl, Careers in Cybersecurity, and Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Trend Micro decided to extend this year’s conference and include programs catering specifically to women in the tech industry as well as students.
Get IT Girl, Trend Micro’s yearly discussion on empowering Filipino women in tech, covers the state of the cybersecurity skills gap and how it has improved through diversity and inclusion, led by Johanna Hipolito, Trend Micro-Manager for Technology Marketing. This is followed by an inspirational talk and Q&A session with our Olympic Silver Medalist Nesthy Petecio on how she stands out in a male-dominated sport.
Trender trainers have sessions about Careers in Cybersecurity, and Cybersecurity Fundamentals, made available for both student audiences and career shifters.
The Decode sessions can still be accessed online and on-demand until July 22, 2022. Register for an account to get access to the materials through this link.
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