Pinoy netizens more vulnerable to cyber threats - study

Filipino netizens are 33 times more likely to be exposed to threats in cyberspace due to a lack of safeguards against pirate websites, a study by an Australian researcher found.

- RAINIER ALLAN RONDA

Conducted by Paul Watters of Macquarie University, the study found that Filipinos accessing and browsing of content in popular pirate websites compared to legitimate film and TV platforms throw them into the sights of hackers and make them open targets to a breach.

Watters cited how high internet and mobile data usage in the Philippines make Filipinos an attractive target for pirates.

He said pirate sites provide a platform for criminals to harvest customer data more easily than hacking into websites to get data.

Unfortunately, consumers in the Philippines use pirate sites unaware of their inherent dangers, including exposing their data.

With such consumer vulnerabilities, Watters underscored the need to put in place measures to ensure compliance and build awareness on the threats that lurk in pirate sites.

"Site-blocking of the most popular pirate sites is the most effective baseline option," he said.