[EXPLAINER | Cybersecurity] Digitalizing womb-to-tomb gov’t services

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Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo, president of Philippine Institute of Cybersecurity Professionals, talks to������ý��reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about data privacy, data protection, and data breaches.��

TAKEAWAYS
Digitalization should serve citizens from ‘womb to tomb.’

The national ID is the first step in a long journey toward consolidating government data, said Mr. Acedillo, who pushed digitalization as a means for integrated womb-to-tomb government services.��

“What if — from the get-go — you are already in that system?” he said. “Isn’t it a beautiful thing for the government to be able to — not just to provide services for you — but also anticipate your needs over the course of your lifetime? That, to me, ultimately should be the goal of government digitalization.”��

The push for digitalization has to be accompanied by cybersecurity laws.

“While you digitalize, you also increase your security. They need to go hand in hand,”�� said Mr. Acedillo. “I’d like to see government legislate more of these things.”

We should spend more on cybersecurity.

“Best practices tell you that any organization — or in this case, the national government — should spend anywhere between 2-5% of its annual budget for cybersecurity. We are nowhere near that,” Mr. Acedillo said.����

Recorded onsite at the GSIS Building on Oct. 6,��four days before the SIM Card Registration Act was signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., on Oct. 10.��Produced by Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia, Earl R. Lagundino, and Sam L. Marcelo.