CybersCool Defcon to bridge gap in cybersecurity and enhance skills of Filipino
In photo from left, Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss, Gen. Rami Efrati, the founding member and former head of the Israel National Cyber Bureau-Civilian Sector and CybersCool Defcon founder Tatoo Amsili during the interview with the media at the launching of CybersCool Defcon, the country’s first globally-accredited cyber school launched last July 20 at Conrad Manila
Text and photos by Monsi A. Serrano
There is no denying that since the pandemic disrupted the world, the cases of cybersecurity breaches have unprecedentedly risen. Despite this alarming incident, there are still many people who are not mindful of the risks it may bring to their business.
But for prudent business leaders and owners, cybersecurity has been on the top agenda of companies across all industries as the pandemic forced everyone to digitally transform. With multiple cyberattack reports uncovered throughout the years, there is no doubt that these attacks, due to the impact of accelerated progression to digitalization, will continue to advance and leave many companies vulnerable. It is pivotal for businesses to identify the countermeasures they must take to navigate the new normal in the longer term.
CybersCool Defcon is founded by Messrs.Edison Abella and Tatoo Amsili, and retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno as the chairman of the board. It is the first globally-accredited cyber school in the country and will provide an opportunity not just to address the escalating cyber security threats in the country but also to help in the capacity building of the Filipino people from Israel, and the world’s number one cyber security provider and cyber security education.
The CybersCool Defcon’s modules are developed by Tel Aviv-based ThriveDX Saas, a company founded by Roy Zur, who previously spearheaded the design and training of elite Israeli Cyber and Intelligence Units.
Speaking to THEPHILBIZNEWS, Tatoo Amsili, CybersCool Defcon founder said, “The (cyber) security threats are real. Any organization that is slow to recognize this will realize why they neglected the threats. That is why we are here. We thank Ambassador Fluss for working hard to pave this partnership and this goes beyond providing cybersecurity to the country because our idea is really to bring the skill of the Filipino people. To find out how they will address cybersecurity issues that are just peculiar to your country. Admit it or not, everything at the end of the day is related to cybersecurity,”
“We will be here to support various government agencies for possible training programs of the government personnel, he continued. Not to undermine the capability of the government, Amsili underscored that government agencies must not solely rely on a third-party service provider.
“Any department actually goes online today and (they) really need to have their own people they cannot be depending on the third party in the software hardware. It’s not enough we need later on people to take over and to manage it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Rami Efrati, the founding member and former head of the Israel National Cyber Bureau-Civilian Sector, said, “Israel is ready to share its knowledge in cybersecurity”.
“You have to understand that Cybersecurity is not only about cyber attacks. There’s a terrorism aspect to cybercrime. Because if somebody’s trying to affect the population and the government by doing illegal things, we have to stop it immediately,” he said.
For his part, Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss lauds the opening of CybersCool Defcon in the Philippines and also highlights the role of (Israel) embassy in the country.
“This is what the embassy is about and (by) bringing these two flags together, and two peoples together in any possible way,” Ambassador Fluss said.
“What we’re doing here is what I call building bridges between countries. In this case building bridges of technology, innovation, and cyber security. It’s not just about sharing technologies. The beauty of what we’re seeing today is really sharing best practices. It is training it is human capacity building. This is what we’re talking about”. he added.
Fluss also pointed out that whatever best practices and technologies Israel is sharing are not a “copy, paste, do it”. But taken from certain best practices between people to people, between nations, and between friends.
While admitting how Israeli technology can enhance the country’s capability in addressing cyber security, Ambassador Fluss emphasized that the country has to adjust to the local challenges to find our own solutions for those challenges.
“Here we are Israel, the Israeli private sector, and the Israeli government to share and work with you into creating your own local solutions,” he said.