Phishing is a rampant issue in the Philippines. To combat this, PLDT and Smart have been filtering SMS, blocking domains, and investing in cybersecurity infrastructures.
From June 11 to 14 alone, PLDT and Smart have blocked more than 23 million SMS that contain URLs identified as phishing sites.
“PLDT and Smart have increased the frequency of our detection and blocking activities to keep our customers safe. We are constantly upgrading our tools to stay ahead of criminals. We continue to engage our partners both in the government and private sector to keep the Group updated on the latest threats and how perpetrators run their modus,” said Angel Redoble, FVP and Chief Information Security Officer at PLDT and Smart.
As for January to May 2022, both companies have blocked almost 78,000 SIMs related to smishing, which is double compared to the same period last year. In addition, PLDT and Smart have blocked more than 500 domains specifically linked to smishing as well as 10,000 domains tied to phishing.
PLDT and Smart are also fortifying their cybersecurity infrastructure. In fact, they have invested nearly P3 billion just to safeguard the public against emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities, including online fraud and other criminal activities.
