Nine in 10 Philippine organizations surveyed by cybersecurity company Fortinet suffered at least one security breach over the past 12 months, with more than half reporting losses exceeding $1 million.
Fortinet’s 2026 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report found that 93% of Philippine respondents experienced one or more breaches, while 52% said the incidents cost their organizations more than $1 million. Seven in 10 took more than a month to recover from an attack.
The findings were based on a survey of 60 Philippine IT and cybersecurity decision-makers, primarily from the technology, manufacturing, and financial services sectors.
A shortage of qualified cybersecurity workers remained a major concern, with 71% of respondents identifying insufficient cybersecurity skills as a leading cause of breaches for the third consecutive year.
About 63% said their organizations particularly needed senior-level cybersecurity expertise, but 55% reported difficulty obtaining approval to hire additional personnel.
The consequences have also reached corporate leadership. Some 58% said executives and board members had faced penalties following cyberattacks, although the report did not specify the types of penalties imposed.
The talent shortage is becoming more pronounced as Philippine companies deploy artificial intelligence in their security operations.
Fortinet said 94% of respondents were already using or experimenting with AI-powered cybersecurity tools.
About 91% said these tools were helping their IT and security teams become more effective and efficient. However, 49% listed defending against AI-enabled cyberattacks as a major concern.
“AI is fundamentally changing how organizations defend against cyber threats, but it is also changing the skills security teams need to succeed,” said Bambi Escalante, country manager of Fortinet Philippines.
“As organizations across the Philippines accelerate AI adoption, developing cybersecurity talent with expertise in AI, automation, and governance has become just as important as investing in new technologies. Strengthening cyber resilience requires a long-term commitment to people, continuous learning, and building the capabilities needed to address today’s threats and tomorrow’s challenges.”
Finding workers with AI-related experience was the top recruitment problem for 73% of respondents. Companies said they needed personnel with skills in AI model development, security automation, and oversight of AI tools.
To address the shortage, 73% of surveyed organizations were developing internal training or reskilling programs, while 65% were sourcing similar programs from technology vendors.
Almost all respondents, or 98%, said their organizations were likely to invest in AI-related cybersecurity training or certification over the next 12 months.
Meanwhile, 78% expected cybersecurity teams to require more AI oversight and governance positions within three years.
Despite the growing use of AI, only 65% believed their board members fully understood the risks arising from employees’ use of the technology.
