Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky is urging public and private organizations in the Philippines to move beyond traditional defenses and adopt a “cyber immunity” framework, a proactive design-based approach that ensures systems are secure and resilient.
The call comes as the country faces increasing digital threats, highlighted by a recent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) incident.
DDoS attacks overwhelm websites or online services by flooding them with malicious traffic, disrupting legitimate access and often masking more serious intrusions like ransomware or data theft.
“DDoS attacks are a reminder that cybersecurity can no longer be an afterthought,” said Sam Yan, head of sales for Asia emerging countries at Kaspersky.
“Filipino institutions, whether public or private, must evolve from being reactive to being resilient. Cyber immunity ensures that even if an attack occurs, it cannot cause significant harm or halt essential services,” said Yan.
Kaspersky’s Security Bulletin shows that Internet-borne threats are on the rise across Southeast Asia. From July to September 2025, Kaspersky products detected 2.54 million Internet-borne threats in the Philippines, with 20 percent of Filipino users encountering web-related attacks.
The country ranks 25th globally for exposure to web-borne threats. These online threats typically exploit browser weaknesses or trick users via social engineering tactics such as phishing or fake downloads.
Kaspersky data also indicate that 19.3 percent of Filipino users were targeted by local malware infections, which spread through offline means such as USB drives.
Unlike traditional cybersecurity models that prioritize detecting and responding to attacks, cyber-immune architecture aims to minimize exploitable vulnerabilities and reduce the impact of any breach. Kaspersky advocates for developing systems that are “secure by design,” with protection integrated at every level, from hardware and software to human behavior.
