PLDT, Smart strengthen digital safety for Davao content creators

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) recently supported the Content Creation 101 Workshop organized by the Davao Digital Creators. More than a hundred aspiring vloggers and bloggers from the Davao Region gained new insights on keeping safe in the digital space from some of the region’s most successful content creators.

“Internet personalities with large followers are also being targeted because of the potential impact a hacking incident could bring. Knowing that their victims have so much to lose, threat actors might also demand ransom for the release of their accounts,” said Stephanie Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart.

Realizing the significance of a safe digital space for content creators to pursue the passions, PLDT Group continues to support efforts towards building a CyberSmart community through awareness of the latest cybersecurity threats and fraudulent activities.

Elijah Mendoza, Smart Senior Manager and Head of Digital Communications, emphasized the use of strong, unique passwords for each account, and switching on multi-factor authentication as a second layer of protection. He also reminded content creators to regularly update their device’s software to ensure that systems and applications are running on the latest security patches against known vulnerabilities.

“We are grateful to PLDT and Smart for always supporting our endeavors at Davao Digital Creators (DDC). We also appreciate the timely discussion on Securing Social Media Assets, as this reminds content creators like me to spot phishing red flags,” said Gaelle Ansaldo, DDC President.

19-year-old content creator Bessie Marcojos learned to be on guard at all times and avoid complacency.

“The discussion underscores the importance of digital security even if we have not suffered any hacking incident,” she said. “Relearning this can help us defend ourselves from cyber-attacks and breach attempts.”

PLDT Group continues to work with different sectors and partners in advocating for cybersecurity to keep internet users safe online. These initiatives form part of the PLDT Group’s broader program to elevate the quality of customer experience by protecting them from online threats.

Aside from promoting the CyberSmart culture, PLDT Group has also kept customers secure from cyber-attacks by preventing attempts to open malicious domains, and blacklisting malicious URLs and links tied to phishing, spams, hoaxes and other illegal activities.