The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) and Cisco, a worldwide leader in technology, have partnered to provide cybersecurity training to the commercial banking sector through Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration Program in the Philippines, Ugnayan 2030.

Banking professionals from across 13 of the leading banks in the country completed courses under the training program developed by Cisco Networking Academy, one of the world’s longest running IT skills-to-job program.
The shift to digital for the banking sector and many others has rapidly expanded the threat landscape, with 8 in 10 (85 percent) of security leaders in the Philippines believing cybersecurity incidents are likely to disrupt their businesses over the next year.
Data from the Philippines Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has shown cybercrimes increasing by 152 percent and online scams tripling from 2022 to 2023.This has led to the growing importance of cybersecurity education, awareness, and training forbankingprofessionals.
“As cyber threats continue to escalate, so does the need for advancing and expanding our cybersecurity workforce,” said Zaza Soriano-Nicart, Managing Director, Cisco Philippines.
“At Cisco, we recognize the urgency of this demand and remain committed to empoweringthose in the financial services sector with the knowledge and skills to securely navigate the digital landscape and improve cybersecurity resilience. We are honored to collaborate with BAP on this vital initiative and continue to provide banking professionals with the necessary skills of tomorrow.”
“The importance of banks and financial institutions protecting consumer data and privacy is paramount in today’s digital era. With the evolving cyber threat landscape, banking professionals must be equipped with the knowledge and skill sets to prevent cybersecurity breaches and respond swiftly to threats. This partnership with Cisco enables us to provide them with strong cybersecurity skills, to not only safeguard institutions in the Philippines but also maintain the trust and confidence of customers,” said Benjamin P. Castillo, Managing Director, BAP.
The“Cisco-BAP Cybersecurity Skills Training Program for the Next Generation Banker” is a dedicated initiative that institutionalizes cybersecurity training for banking professionals.
Delivered in partnership with Mapua University through a mix of self-paced, in-person and virtual classes on Webex, the program is designed to equip participants with a comprehensive understanding of security standards and best practices to secure their organizations. It also seeks to expand the pool of cybersecurity professionals to fill vacancies in member banks and bolster the industry.