A recent survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reveals that only one in three Filipinos aged 10 and above is aware of cybersecurity and data privacy issues, even as cyber-related incidents affected over six in ten digital device users in 2024.
The 2024 National Information and Communications Technology Household Survey found that 33.4 percent, or approximately 30.55 million of the country's 91.38 million individuals aged 10 and above, were aware of cybersecurity and data privacy concerns.
Awareness was highest in the National Capital Region at 53.6 percent, followed by Central Visayas at 43.9 percent. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded the lowest awareness rate at 6.5 percent.
Women showed slightly higher awareness than men, with rates of 35.8 percent and 31.1 percent, respectively. By age group, awareness peaked among those aged 25 to 34 years (42.6 percent), followed by 15 to 24 years (41.6 percent) and 35 to 44 years (41.2 percent). Among individuals aged 75 and above, awareness dropped to 11.3 percent.
Digital divide
The survey also highlighted a significant digital divide. Awareness reached 42.9 percent in urban areas compared with 22.7 percent in rural communities. Individuals with tertiary education recorded the highest awareness rate at 62.6 percent, while those with primary education or lower posted just 9.6 percent.
Despite low awareness, cyber incidents were widespread. The PSA reported that 62.5 percent of the country's 38.86 million users of information and communications technology (ICT) devices, equivalent to about 24.28 million people, experienced at least one cybersecurity incident in 2024.
Mimaropa recorded the highest incidence rate at 73.6 percent, followed by Bicol Region at 72 percent and Central Luzon at 67 percent. The Zamboanga Peninsula had the lowest rate at 35.7 percent.
Common threats
Text-message scams were the most common threat, affecting 57.1 percent of victims. Other incidents included hacking (7.8 percent), phishing (6.1 percent), and cyberbullying or cyber libel (1.1 percent).
However, only 1.9 percent of victims reported incidents to authorities such as barangays, law enforcement agencies, government offices, or non-government organizations.
The PSA defines cybersecurity incidents as information security events that may disrupt operations or threaten the integrity of digital information and systems.
