Fiber internet provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. yesterday said it has blocked around 350,000 web addresses as of end-January 2023, more than double the previous year as it intensifies efforts to protect its pure fiber network from illicit content.
According to network data, Converge increased the sites it has blocked in 2022 by 150 percent from about 100,000 web addresses restricted from its broadband network in 2021.
Converge has nearly two million subscribers using its end-to-end fiber network.
The company said a staggering 2.1 billion requests to these web addresses were denied during the same period — more than a tenfold increase from the 144 million requests denied during the previous year.
“In the face of a marked increase in the number of URLs containing OSAEC (online sexual abuse and exploitation of children) encountered in 2022, Converge goes beyond to protect our customers and children by leveraging on cutting edge cyber defense tools and growing our partnerships to stop the spread of these materials online,” Paulo Martin Santos, Converge chief network transformation officer, said during the kickoff of the “Converge Together for a Safer Internet” campaign last February 7.
The 350,000 URLs blocked are aggregated addresses related to different types of cybercrime including OSAEC, illegal online gambling, phishing/banking, terrorism and voyeurism.
“The rising number of requests to these sites are alarming to us. Enforcement agencies can count on our ready assistance to crack down on this on an operational level. As an internet service provider, we will continue to do our work in combating OSAEC and ensure our network is not taken advantage of by cybercriminals,” said Dennis Anthony Uy, Converge chief executive officer.
Converge said its network team also has a coordination mechanism with enforcement agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police Cybercrime division for the reporting of all types of illegal content online, including OSAEC. – Myla Iglesias
