PLDT and Smart Communications recently hosted COMELEC officials at its Security Operations Center in Makati to discuss the group’s cybersecurity technology, processes, and culture.
“PLDT and Smart recognize the critical role that we play in the Filipinos’ right to suffrage. In the past automated elections, we have provided a secure channel for critical information to pass through. We support the COMELEC in providing Filipinos with clean and honest elections,” said Angel Redoble, FVP and Chief Information Security Office of the PLDT Group.
“The Automated Election System has demonstrated its capabilities to run a secure and efficient process. As we move deeper into the digital age, we always strive to boost our capabilities to protect the Filipinos’ vote and to ensure that they continue to trust our elections,” said COMELEC Commissioner Nelson Celis.
During the roundtable discussion, PLDT and Smart’s Cyber Security Operations Group shared its best practices that have allowed it to defend the telcos’ assets and customers against threats and disruptive attacks. Redoble further explained how these capabilities can help make the polls more secure and efficient, ultimately protecting the integrity of the country’s elections.
PLDT Enterprise, the corporate business arm of the PLDT Group, also talked about existing solutions that can be tweaked to satisfy COMELEC’s requirements. The unit is willing to collaborate with the agency on data storage and management while the poll body cement plans for its own facility. PLDT Enterprise’s suite of services caters to some of the biggest companies here and abroad.
As the COMELEC prepares for the first National Election Summit this year, it has conducted consultations with relevant agencies on cybersecurity. PLDT and Smart were the only telcos invited by the poll body to participate in the pre-Summit discussions to help the agency craft recommendations to strengthen the country’s elections.
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PLDT and Smart’s programs to beef up the digital infrastructure of government agencies are part of a broader effort to elevate the Filipinos’ experience by keeping these critical organizations safe from cyber-attacks. These initiatives highlight the Group’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG No. 9 on Industries, Innovation and Infrastructure.
