The Philippines’ high internet and social media penetration, coupled with its large business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, puts the country at greater risk of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven cyberattacks, according to an expert.
The country’s nearly nine hours of average daily internet use, among the highest in the world, and its 97.5 million internet users make Filipinos highly vulnerable to AI-driven data breaches, said Ram C. Vaidyanathan, chief information technology security evangelist at ManageEngine, an India-based IT management company, citing the 2025 Meltwater report.
He added that all sectors are at risk of data breaches, as cyberattacks have become more convincing with the use of AI.
“This risk factor is heightened because, now with AI coming to the fore, you have more and more cases of deepfakes going around, even for professionals,” Mr. Vaidyanathan said in an interview via Zoom.
He also noted that the country’s large Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector is among the most vulnerable to AI-driven data breaches, as the industry handles sensitive information that is highly attractive to the perpetrators of these cyberattacks.
Globally, nearly nine out of ten (86%) business leaders responsible for cybersecurity have experienced at least one AI-related attack in the past 12 months, Mr. Vaidyanathan said, citing the 2025 Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index.
Most AI-driven breaches involve data poisoning, where attackers manipulate training datasets, deepfake videos, and phishing attacks delivered through email and SMS.
“Now gone are the days when you could just look at an email and you would see these grammatical mistakes or spelling mistakes,” Mr. Vaidyanathan said.
“Nowadays, what is happening is that AI is being used to research the targets before a cybercriminal campaign is launched. So these emails tend to be very compelling and very convincing,” he added.
To strengthen organizations against AI-driven cyber threats, Mr. Vaidyanathan recommends adopting a zero-trust framework, educating employees about these AI-driven threats, and using counterpart AI tools for early threat detection and response.
He also emphasized the integration of proactive measures, especially for sectors handling sensitive data like the BPO industry.
On the policy side, he said the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) should enforce stronger and deeper collaboration between the government and the private sector, Mr. Vaidyanathan said. — Edg Adrian A. Eva
