A plaque of appreciation was given by David Abrenilla, Organizer of the Philippine SME Business Expo and CEO of Mediacom Solutions (4th from left)  to LBC, received by their Sales and Marketing Manager of Philippine Operations Dale Camandang (5th from left) This is the first time LBC Retail participated  in the said expo.



 LBC showed its inimitable strength once more in retail and corporate cargo, money remittance and logistics services when it took part in the SME Business Expo 2018 held at the SMX Mall of Asia recently.  The exhibit allowed LBC to showcase how adept they are in helping small and medium scale enterprises and e-commerce merchants make their operations as seamless as possible.

 Dale Camandang, LBC Sales and Marketing Manager, Philippine Operations, says the company has always had a soft spot for SMEs who have achieved their goals through sheer passion and hard work.  “It makes us proud that we at LBC have the means to assist them in sustaining their individual ventures. We believe that a business needs more than a vision and inspiration, it needs a full end to end platform that is both highly integrated and highly agile. This is the thrust of LBC Payment Solutions”, says Camandang.

 LBC Payment Solutions integrates payment and cargo and logistic services to offer an end to end platform in the market.

  One such service is LBC Paycollect which allows sellers to use LBC branches as the payment center of their buyers with low remittance fees. Then for customers who want to return a purchased item, any LBC branch can simply serve as a conduit under the Returns and Refunds facility. On top of taking care of the refund, LBC will be the one to deliver the returned item right at your doorstep.

             Going a step beyond, LBC also offers Payroll Disbursement. Under this, LBC can handle the disbursement of payroll to employees, thus enabling them to receive their salary at any of their branches. But this service is not only limited to payroll. LBC can also expend loans, employee’s allowance or commissions, and insurances and any type of cash payouts.

 With the array of Payment Solutions being offered by LBC, SMEs can be assured that they have an ally they can trust with running the nitty gritty of their business while they focus on maximizing the potential of their respective enterprises. To know more about about the LBC Payment Solutions and for inquiries, please contact LBC_paymentsolution@lbcexpress.com.

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Microsoft and Frost & Sullivan Study reveals that:
• A large-sized organization in the Philippines can possibly incur an economic loss of US$7.5million, more than 200 times the average economic loss for a mid-sized organization
• Cybersecurity attacks have led to job losses inseven in ten (72%) organizations over the last year
• Cybersecurity concerns delay Digital Transformation plans
• Organizations are increasingly leveraging Artificial Intelligence to enhance their cybersecurity strategy


Sullivan study commissioned by Microsoft revealed that the potentialeconomic loss in the Philippines due to cybersecurity incidents can hit a staggeringUS$3.5 billion. This is 1.1 percent of the Philippines’ total GDP of US$305 billion.



The study, titled “Understanding the Cybersecurity Threat Landscape in Asia Pacific: Securing the Modern Enterprise in a Digital World”, aims to provide business and IT decision makers with insights on the economic cost of cybersecurity breaches in the region and identify the gaps in organizations’ cybersecurity strategies. The study involved a survey of 1,300 business and IT decision makers ranging from mid-sized organizations (250 to 499 employees) to large-sized organizations (>than 500 employees).

The study reveals that more than half of the organizationssurveyed in the Philippines have either experienced a cybersecurity incident (18%) or are not sure if they had one as they have not performed proper forensics or data breach assessment (34%).



“As companies embrace the opportunities presented by cloud and mobile computing to connect with customers and optimize operations, they take on new risks,” said Hans Bayaborda, Managing Director, Microsoft Philippines.“With traditional IT boundaries disappearing the adversariesnow have many new targets to attack. Companies face the risk of significant financial loss, damage to customer satisfaction and market reputation — as has been made all too clear by recent high-profile breaches.”



The True Cost of Cybersecurity Incidents – Economic, Opportunity and Job Losses

The study revealed that:


• A large-sized organization in the Philippines can possibly incur an economic loss of US$7.5 million, more than 200 times higher than the average economic loss for a mid-sized organization(US$35,000); and
• Cybersecurity attacks have resulted in job losses across different functions in seven in ten (72%) organizations that have experienced an incident over the last 12 months.



To calculate the cost of cybercrime, Frost & Sullivan has created an economic loss model based on macro-economic data and insights shared by the survey respondents. This model factors in three kinds of losses which could be incurred due to a cybersecurity breach:


• Direct: Financial losses associated with acybersecurity incident - this includes loss of productivity, fines, remediation cost, etc;
• Indirect: The opportunity cost to the organizationsuch as customer churn due to reputation loss; and
• Induced: The impact of cyber breach to the broader ecosystem and economy, such as the decrease in consumer and enterprise spending.



“Although the direct losses from cybersecurity breaches are most visible, they are but just the tip of the iceberg,” said Edison Yu, Vice President and Asia Pacific Head of Enterprise for Frost & Sullivan. “There are many other hidden losses that we have to consider from both the indirect and induced perspectives, and the economic loss for organizations suffering from cybersecurity attacks can be often underestimated.”



In addition to financial losses, cybersecurity incidents are also undermining the Philippines organizations’ ability to capture future opportunities in today’s digital economy, with more than half (57%) respondents stating that their enterprise has put off digital transformation efforts due to the fear of cyber-risks.



Key Cyberthreats and Gaps in the PhilippinesOrganizations’ Cybersecurity Strategies

Although high-profile cyberattacks, such as ransomware, have been garnering a lot of attention from enterprises, the study found that for organizations in the Philippines that have encountered cybersecurity incidents, data exfiltrationand data corruption are the biggest concern as they have the highest impact with the slowest recovery time.



Besides external threats, the research also revealed key gaps in organizations’ cybersecurity approach to protect their digital estate:


• Security an afterthought: Only 44% oforganizations consider cybersecurity before the start of a digital transformation project. Majority of respondents (56%) either think about cybersecurity only after they start on the project or do not consider it at all. This limits their ability to conceptualize and deliver a “secure-by-design” project, potentially leading to insecure products going out into the market;


• Creating a Complex Environment: Negating the popular belief that deploying a large portfolio of cybersecurity solutions will render stronger protection, the survey revealed that 17% of respondents with more than 50 cybersecurity solutions could recover from cyberattacks within an hour. In contrast, more than twice as manyrespondents (38%) with fewer than 10 cybersecurity solutions responded that they can recover from cyberattacks within an hour; and


• Lacking cybersecurity strategy: While more and more organizations are considering digital transformation to gain competitive advantage, the study has shown that 46% of respondents see cybersecurity strategy only as a means to safeguard the organization against cyberattacks rather than a strategic business enabler. A mere 25% of organizations see cybersecurity strategy as a digital transformation enabler.



“The ever-changing threat environment is challenging, but there are ways to be more effective using the right blend of modern technology, strategy, and expertise,” added Hans. “Microsoft is empowering businesses in the Philippines to take advantage of digital transformation by enabling them to embrace the technology that’s available to them, securelythrough its secure platform of products and services, combined with unique intelligence and broad industry partnerships.”



Artifical Intelligence (AI) is the Next Frontier in Cybersecurity Defense

In a digital world where cyberthreats are constantly evolving and attack surface is rapidly expanding, AI is becoming a potent opponent against cyberattacks as it can detect and act on threat vectors based on data insights. The study reveals that more than almost four in five (79%)organizations in the Philippines have either adopted or are looking to adopt an AI approach towards boosting cybersecurity.



AI’s ability to rapidly analyze and respond to unprecedented quantities of data is becoming indispensable in a world where cyberattacks’ frequency, scale and sophistication continue to increase.



An AI-driven cybersecurity architecture will be more intelligent and be equipped with predictive abilities to allow organizations to fix or strengthen their security posture before problems emerge. It will also grant companies with the capabilities to accomplish tasks, such as identifying cyberattacks, removal of persistent threats and fixing bugs, faster than any human could, making it an increasingly vital element of any organizations’ cybersecurity strategy.



Recommendations for securing the modern enterprise in a digital world

AI is but one of the many aspects that organizations need to incorporate or adhere to in order to maintain a robust cybersecurity posture. For a cybersecurity practice to be successful, organizations need to consider People, Process and Technology, and how each of these contributes to the overall security posture of the organization.



To help organizations better withstand and respond to cyberattacks and malware infections, here are five best practices that they can consider in improving their defense against cybersecurity threats:


• Position cybersecurity as a digital transformation enabler: Disconnect between cybersecurity practices and digital transformation effort creates a lot of frustration for the employees. Cybersecurity is a requirement for digital transformation to guide and keep the company safe through its journey. Conversely, digital transformation presents an opportunity for cybersecurity practices to abandon aging practices to embrace new methods of addressing today’s risks;


• Continue to invest in strengthening your security fundamentals: Over 90% of cyber incidents can be averted by maintaining the most basic best practices. Maintaining strong passwords, conditional use of multi-factor authentication against suspicious authentications, keeping device operating systems, software and anti-malware protection up-to-date and genuine can rapidly raise the bar against cyberattacks. This should include not just tool-sets but also training and policies to support a stronger fundamental;


• Maximize skills and tools by leveraging integrated best-of-suite tools. The best tools are useless in the hands of the amateur. Reduce the number of tools and the complexity of your security operations to allow your operators to hone their proficiency with the available tools. Prioritizing best-of-suite tools is a great way to maximize your risk coverage without the risk of introducing too many tools and complexity to the environment. This is especially true if tools within the suite are well-integrated to take advantage of their counterparts;


• Assessment, review and continuous compliance: The organization should be in a continuous state of compliance. Assessments and reviews should be conducted regularly to test for potential gaps that may occur as the organization is rapidly transforming and address these gaps. The board should keep tab on not just compliance to industry regulations but also how the organization is progressing against security best practices; and


• Leverage AI and automation to increase capabilities and capacity: With security capabilities in short supply, organizations need to look to automation and AI to improve the capabilities and capacity of their security operations. Current advancements in AI has shown a lot of promise, not just in raising detections that would otherwise be missed but also in reasoning over how the various data signals should be interpreted with recommended actions. Such systems have seen great success in cloud implementations where huge volumes of data can be processed rapidly. Ultimately, leveraging automation and AI can free up cybersecurity talents to focus on higher-level activities.



For more information on the study, please visit:

https://news.microsoft.com/apac/features/cybersecurity-in-asia/ ‎



To better understand the cyberthreats happening globally and in Asia Pacific, please download the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 23 here: https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-Security-Intelligence-Report-Vol-23-Landing-Page-eBook.html



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About the “Understanding the Cybersecurity Threat Landscape in Asia Pacific: Securing the Modern Enterprise in a Digital World” Study

This study involved a survey conducted with 1,300 respondents from 13 markets - Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.



All respondents are business and IT decision-makers involved in shaping their organizations’ cybersecurity strategies. 44% of them being business decision-makers, including CEOs, COOs and Directors, while 56% are IT decision-makers, including CIOs, CISO and IT Directors. 29% of participants are from mid-sized organizations (250 to 499 staff); and 71% are from large-sized organizations (more than 500 staff)

Las Piñas City – In today’s digital revolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) opened opportunities for companies and states to develop machines that highly integrated a human’s imagination and problem-solving skills. Efficient logistics for production, cure for challenging diseases and self-driving vehicles are some of the visions that turned into reality through AI. This technological advancement is rapidly shaping the future and the way people live. Recognizing the shift, Southville International School and Colleges (SISC) has widened the scope of their Information Technology (IT) course through the launch of its AI and Mobile applications courses strengthened by their partnership with one of the world’s top ICT companies, Acer.

Students of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology can now opt to major in AI or mobile applications. The field of mobile applications for undergraduates can hone their skills in designing and hosting applications for gaming, entertainment and productivity.  On the other hand, students majoring in AI will tackle real-world projects that can provide solutions to today’s challenges. From handwriting/speech recognition to stock trading with neural networks, AI students will learn the skills that will be beneficial to organizations and to society.

“Southville IT degree holders will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence that will help them transform an organization into a more innovative, efficient and sustainable one,” said Dr. Aris Ignacio, Dean of the College of Information Technology.

Aside from adding tracks to its IT course, SISC has also intensified its faculty. Providing the students with quality AI skills and training is Professor Rex Wallen Tan, the sole holder of an AI masters degree in the Philippines.  Professor Tan finished his Master in Artificial Intelligence as Summa Cum Laude in Imperial College of London, one of the top universities in the world.

As a result of its strengthed partnership with Acer Philippines, SISC also has access to trainings for its educators to be up to date with the current industry trends. “As a global ICT company, we believe in paving the way for students to discover a future in the world of IT. Creating Acer Academy is our way of providing our products and services to schools and universities where they can utilize our expertise and resources in preparing future professionals in their careers,” shared Carren Garcia, Acer Philippines Senior Manager for Commercial Sales.
As a school that is strongly committed in preparing learners to be leaders and movers in the digital society, Southville also pioneered a technology-driven curriculum where students are taught with e-learning methodologies through an interactive software. SISC’s tie-up and accreditation with Microsoft Imagine Academy allows students and teachers to access course materials and obtain certifications online. Coupled with the software is Southville’s newly upgraded computer laboratory, powered by Acer desktops with high-end specifications. These devices allow students to process heavy data and applications to produce real-life end products.

To know more about the courses and programs offered by Southville International School and Colleges, visit its website at www.southville.edu.ph and/or call telephone numbers (02) 820-8702 or (02) 825-6374.

Southville’s Faculty of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT).
[L-R]: Lisandro Adamos and Floramae Aguilos, BSIT Faculty; Dr. Aris Ignacio, Dean of the College of Information Technology; Claudine Lumactud and Fulgencio Ducut, BSIT Faculty.


Southville’s newly upgraded computer laboratory, powered by Acer desktops with high-end specifications.

At the ceremonial toast of SM’s 60th Anniversary launch. From left SM Chairman for Executive Committee Hans T. Sy, SM Retail Vice Chair Herbert Sy, SM Investments Vice Chair Tessie Sy Coson, and SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. President Elizabeth Sy.