NEWS
Strengthening ICT supply chain resilience is everyone’s business
December 13, 2021 2:22 p.m.
By Genie Sugene Gan, Head of Government Affairs, Asia-Pacific, Kaspersky
NotPetya, WannaCry, ShadowPad, and Sunburst may or may not be household names, but these malware, and many more, have unleashed significant harm on the world.
Recently, one such instance of malware was used to attack an IT services company based in Dublin, which supplies security software to scores of large cybersecurity contractors. Working through the company, hackers infected hundreds of its clients worldwide with ransomware, and demanded USD 50,000–5 million from each business in exchange for the decryption key.
Earlier this year, another attack hit an American IT software company, and subsequently infiltrated nine U.S. federal agencies, including the Office of the President, and the Treasury and Commerce Departments.
What these attacks have in common is their modus operandi: hackers targeted software vendors or IT companies to gain backdoor access to their clients’ systems, infecting hundreds and thousands of systems in one go.
This is perhaps how “supply chain” got its name – each part of the process stream is inevitably linked to another. When one part gets affected, a domino effect soon follows.
The Problem
ICT supply chain cyberattacks are on the rise – the European Union for Cybersecurity estimates a four-fold growth in attacks in 2021 compared to 2020. The risk is compounded as vulnerabilities can be introduced at any phase of the ICT life cycle: from design – through development, production, distribution, acquisition and deployment – to maintenance.
The impact of these breaches is also set to grow, given the increasing interconnection of IT systems across organizations, sectors and countries. In a 2019 survey by Gartner, 60% of organizations reported working with more than 1000 third parties.
Upon successful infiltration, cybercriminals enjoy free rein to conduct cyber espionage, steal data and intellectual property, or extort money through ransomware attacks, which have been on the rise. From 2019 to 2020, the number of Kaspersky users encountering targeted ransomware – malware used to extort money from high-profile targets such as corporations, government agencies, and municipal organizations – increased by 767%.
While the impact on governments and enterprises may feature more prominently, the wider public is not spared. An attack on a grocery chain could force the temporary closure of scores of supermarkets, or a virus may be unleashed on millions of PC users through a software update (as, for example, occurred in the ShadowHammer3+1 attack, which Kaspersky detected and promptly mitigated in 2019). Taking it further, the compromise of systems providing healthcare or public utilities may disrupt the provision of these essential services. And these are the very day-to-day things that affect individuals like you and me.
Early Responses
Recognizing the risks and impact of supply chain cyberattacks, more countries are taking action. Since 2020, national cybersecurity strategies were either released or updated across Asia-Pacific, including in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Japan. Other countries, like Vietnam, India and Indonesia, are soon expected to release their own national strategies or implementation details too.
But when it comes to ICT supply chain resilience, the solution is more complex in view of the multitude and range of stakeholders involved. Some governments have intervened, with a focus on protecting the ICT supply chains of Critical Information Infrastructure (CII):
- In 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security established the ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force, a public-private partnership to develop consensus on risk management strategies to enhance global ICT supply chain security. The Task Force has released guidelines on the sharing of supply chain risk information, and risk considerations for managed service provider customers.
- The Australian Cyber Security Centre also published guides this year for businesses to identify cybersecurity risks associated with supply chains, and to manage these risks.
- The Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore announced that it will shortly launch a CII Supply Chain Programme for stakeholders to adhere to international best practices and standards for supply chain risk management.
The Way Ahead
The global nature of ICT supply chains necessitates a stronger, coordinated response at every level.
Globally, countries and International Organizations (e.g., INTERPOL, the UN, ASEAN, Europol) have taken steps to tighten cooperation and share best practices:
- Multilateral platforms – Today, the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts and Open-ended Working Group are platforms that can be used by countries to develop consensus around cyber processes and norms. Conferences such as the UN Internet Governance Forum provide further opportunities to discuss at the working level: in 2020, Kaspersky together with our partners organized a workshop to discuss the need and ways to develop assurance and transparency in global ICT supply chains.
- Bilateral partnerships – Countries around the region, including Vietnam, India, Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, have committed to MOUs on various aspects of cybersecurity – an important step in making progress domestically and globally.
While each of these platforms plays an important role in building consensus, exchanging knowledge and best practices, and harmonizing standards, moving forward, it is imperative to have more targeted conversations on global ICT supply chain resilience, given the wide-ranging types of actors and impact involved globally.
Nationally, governments must continue to drive nationwide efforts to establish a baseline level of cybersecurity across sectors through laws, regulations, guidelines, training requirements and awareness building. The examples above provide a sense of some of the measures undertaken by governments.
Given the integrated nature of ICT supply chain resilience, there is a particular need to develop core principles (e.g., security-by-design), technical standards and legislative/regulatory frameworks to ensure a consistent level of cybersecurity and accountability across stakeholders. Self-assessment tools can also be published in addition to facilitate implementation.
Individually, everyone is responsible for ensuring our collective cybersecurity. Naturally, businesses that develop products and maintain systems must lead the way.
At Kaspersky, we believe that transparency in the components within and connections across software supply chains is the best way to ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of our digital infrastructure. Our commitment to this principle is evidenced by our Global Transparency Initiative, where, among other things, we:
- Welcome third parties to review our source code. More recently, we made it easier for our partners and the public to understand what is inside our products by providing a software bill of materials – a list of all the components, information about them, and the relationships between them.
- Practice responsible vulnerability disclosure, and have on many occasions, alerted IT companies regarding vulnerabilities in their systems, averting several potentially significant cyberattacks.
Cybersecurity is everyone’s business because our collective cybersecurity is only as strong as that of the weakest link among us. To remain ahead of the game, a holistic approach involving all stakeholders is required. We must look beyond playing catch-up and reacting to cyberthreats. It is imperative to take a long-term approach in designing the cybersecurity ecosystem, which includes building a strong talent pipeline to meet the needs of CERTs, forensic analysis teams, and IT departments, and designing CII that is secure-by-design.
The ideas above are by no means an exhaustive list, but hopefully, they provide an idea of where to begin – together – in view of the long way that lies ahead of us.
NEWS
Converge collaborates with volunteer groups to bring green initiatives, health services to Aeta community in Pampanga
10:11 a.m. February 6, 2026
LEADING fiber broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. recently engaged with an Aeta community in Angeles City, Pampanga, through a day of tree-planting and outreach activities aimed at creating lasting, positive impact at the grassroots level.
Working alongside socio-civic group The Fraternal Order of Eagles – Kandili Chapter and the all-women volunteer organization Inner Wheel Club of Taguig, Converge sowed 300 fruit bearing seedlings in the Sapangbato Watershed.
The initiative supports the local government’s watershed reforestation efforts while also helping strengthen the livelihood opportunities of farmers in the community.
After the tree planting, the said organizations also conducted a medical mission to bring essential health and dental services directly to residents. Members of the Inner Wheel Club of Taguig gave a health education session on proper oral hygiene, provided basic dental care services, and distributed hygiene kits to community members as part of the outreach.
In addition to these, Converge and the Philippine Eagles also distributed grocery packs, medicines and vitamins, including garments to help address the immediate needs of the families in Sitio Target, Sapangbato.
“This initiative reflects our shared goal of supporting communities in ways that respond to their needs. By working together with other organizations, we were able to do so much for the environment, for the people’s livelihoods, and also in promoting the health and well-being of the community, all in one meaningful effort,” said Converge VP and Head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations Jay-Anne Encarnado.
The engagement of Converge with Sitio Sapangbato builds on an earlier effort where 1,000 mandarin and coffee seedlings were sowed by its employees last year as part of its Women’s Month celebration, led by the mentors and mentees of its women’s leadership program, Grace Under Pressure: MentorSHE.
Overall, Converge planted a total of 4,700 seedlings for the watershed in 2025 in partnership with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Angeles City, Pampanga.
The sustainability commitment of Converge includes a strong focus on creating positive community impact, which the company fulfills by engaging with marginalized communities through the capabilities of its business.
NEWS
Grab, MOVE IT strengthen on-trip protection with expanded COCOLIFE partnership
8:12 a.m. February 3, 2026
Grab Philippines and motorcycle taxi platform MOVE IT have expanded their emergency insurance support with COCOLIFE, widening hospital assistance and financial protection for both rider-partners and passengers in a bid to make coverage more accessible and comprehensive for users of the on-demand mobility services.
Through the deepened partnership, rider-partners and passengers gain 24/7 access to a wider network of more than 700 COCOLIFE-accredited hospitals nationwide for emergency situations involving a Grab or MOVE IT ride.
The expanded hospital assistance with COCOLIFE strengthens Grab Philippines and MOVE IT’s protection ecosystem by addressing the most time-critical gap in on-trip incidents: emergency care and hospitalization support for both rider-partners and passengers.
It is designed to complement existing coverage across the platforms. Grab and MOVE IT’s group personal accident insurance, administered through AIG Philippines, continues to provide complimentary on-trip protection for fatal injuries, permanent disablement, and accident-related medical expenses for passengers and partners, while AXA-backed life and disability protection remains an incentive-based benefit for top-performing driver-, delivery-, and rider-partners.
“Safety and protection have to keep evolving with the realities our partners and passengers face every day,” said Ronald Roda, Managing Director of Grab Philippines. “This expanded support with COCOLIFE builds on our work to strengthen welfare protection in the gig economy. Grab and MOVE IT remain committed to the people who make every trip possible, and to the passengers who place their trust in us with every booking. We’ll keep investing in stronger safety nets so partners can keep earning with confidence, and passengers can ride with greater peace of mind.”
Under the expanded coverage, Grab and MOVE IT riders and passengers nationwide are entitled to hospital assistance for accidents that occur while a trip is active on the platform. The policy provides up to P50,000 per member per year to help cover essential accident-related healthcare costs, with benefits available for emergency room, inpatient, and outpatient services across COCOLIFE’s accredited hospital network nationwide – with additional assistance available subject to case assessment.
NEWS
TCL shines at 61st Anvil Awards, securing 4 major honors
3:05 p.m. January 30, 2026
TCL Electronics, the Triple Global Top 1 TV Brand, a leading force in consumer electronics, and the No.1 ranking in global fresh air AC sales, has achieved four recognitions at the recently concluded 61st Anvil Awards Gabi ng Parangal held last January 28 at Solaire Resort, North Quezon City.
Marking a historic milestone, TCL secured its first-ever Anvil trophies, officially placing the brand among the country’s top communicators and demonstrating its excellence in press relations, marketing, and technology.
The Anvil Awards received by TCL highlights how the brand combines innovation, social impact, and strategic communication to deliver meaningful results. The TCL-TESDA Air Conditioning Training Program, which earned top marks in both Good Governance and Government Relations got Gold and Silver awards, the TCL x Olympic Basketball Project, which gained recognition in CSR bagging a Silver award and finally the TCL FreshIN 3.0 Campaign which won in Marketing and Brand Communication got Silver award.
“We are beyond honored to be recognized by the PRSP. Bringing home not just one, but four Anvil awards is a monumental achievement for us. We are absolutely grateful, yet deeply humbled to be among this year’s top-tier honorees. These awards inspire us to continue pushing boundaries, to innovate boldly, and to deliver initiatives that make a meaningful impact on our customers and communities,” TCL Brand Manager Joseph Cerntichez shares.
The 61st Anvil Awards recognizes those who go beyond the conventional, celebrating bold leadership, creative brilliance, and impactful results for communities and brands alike. As one of the most respected programs in the Philippine communications industry, the Anvil Awards, organized annually by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, honors outstanding public relations tools, programs, and campaigns that demonstrate strategic insight, creativity, and measurable impact. Winners are carefully selected by a distinguished, multi-sectoral jury of communication professionals, academics, business leaders, and industry representatives, ensuring a rigorous and credible evaluation process.
Headlining TCL’s historic debut at the Anvil Awards is a Gold trophy in the Public Relations Program for Corporate Responsibility and Good Governance. This prestigious award honors the TCL-TESDA Training Center, a landmark initiative that seamlessly integrates social impact with brand leadership. More than just a facility, this fully equipped hub allows students to master advanced climate control technology through direct mentorship from TCL experts. By pioneering a ‘structured enrollment-to-employment’ pathway, TCL has created a sustainable solution to the industry’s skills gap—transforming graduates into certified professionals within its own service network. This award-winning program stands as a masterclass in nation-building, reflecting TCL’s enduring commitment to the Filipino workforce. TCL-TESDA Air Conditioning Training Program also got a Silver award for Public Relations Program Government Relations category.
TCL’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and good governance was once again honored with a Silver Anvil for the TCL Basketball Camp, a project that perfectly embodies the brand’s ‘Inspire Greatness’ mission. Located in the bustling heart of Manila, the camp provided a platform for young athletes to hone their skills and chase their dreams. The campaign’s success across Tech, Education, and Sports media highlights TCL’s unique ability to empower the Filipino youth through multifaceted engagement. As the world looks toward the World Olympics, this initiative stands as a testament to TCL’s dedication to fostering the next generation of champions.
TCL’s FreshIN 3.0 Campaign took home the Silver Anvil for its brilliant execution of a consumer-centric marketing strategy. Recognized in the ‘Marketing and Brand Communication’ category, the program stood out for its seamless integration of experiential touchpoints and multi-channel outreach. By transforming traditional PR into an interactive journey for the public, TCL didn’t just market a product—it built a lasting brand connection, proving its mastery in the art of modern storytelling and external engagement.
Beyond the impressive specs of the FreshIN 3.0 AC, the campaign’s success was driven by the TCL Cool Truck, which brought superior cooling directly to high-traffic areas. By integrating a skills-building partnership with TESDA, TCL showcased a holistic brand philosophy: delivering top-tier appliances while empowering the next generation of Filipino professionals. The result was a massive surge in brand sentiment and a reinforced standing as an industry innovator.
Marking a landmark achievement in its Philippine journey, TCL has solidified its standing as a leader in electronics and communications. These maiden ANVIL honors are a testament to a brand that refuses to settle, successfully merging technical brilliance with the art of storytelling to define the future of the industry
TCL’s growth is driven by a ‘trailblazer mindset’ under the leadership of TCL Philippines CEO Peter Chen. The brand has outlined a strategic roadmap centered on technical leadership and brand elevation. This directive aims to systematically upgrade TCL’s brand value through collaborative industry progress and the continuous pursuit of cutting-edge consumer experiences.
Looking ahead, TCL is set to roll out several key initiatives in the coming week. The mission remains unchanged, Inspire Greatness upholding the highest standards of quality and service, ensuring that the brand will consistently deliver world-class experiences to their loyal customers.
Converge collaborates with volunteer groups to bring green initiatives, health services to Aeta community in Pampanga
Google AI Tools open new frontiers for wildlife conservation in PH, Southeast Asia
Grab, MOVE IT strengthen on-trip protection with expanded COCOLIFE partnership
