About six in 10 Filipino users of digital devices experienced at least one cybersecurity incident in 2024, according to the latest findings of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) National Information and Communications Technology Household Survey (NICTHS).
The PSA said 62.5 percent of ICT device users aged 10 years and older, or about 24.28 million Filipinos, encountered cybersecurity-related incidents during the year. Despite the high number of victims, only 1.9 percent reported the incidents to authorities.
The findings were contained in the third report from the 2024 NICTHS, which examined cybersecurity and data privacy awareness, as well as exposure to technology-enabled threats among Filipinos.
The survey showed that awareness of cybersecurity and data privacy remains limited nationwide. Only 33.4 percent of Filipinos aged 10 years and older, equivalent to about 30.55 million people, said they were aware of cybersecurity and data privacy issues.
The National Capital Region recorded the highest awareness level at 53.6 percent, followed by Central Visayas at 43.9 percent.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) posted the lowest awareness rate at 6.5 percent.
Women were slightly more aware of cybersecurity and data privacy issues than men, with awareness rates of 35.8 percent and 31.1 percent, respectively.
Awareness was highest among individuals aged 25 to 34 years at 42.6 percent and lowest among those aged 75 years and older at 11.3 percent.
Educational attainment also appeared to have a significant impact. About 62.6 percent of college-educated respondents reported awareness of cybersecurity and data privacy concerns, compared with only 9.6 percent among those with primary education or less.
The survey also found a pronounced urban-rural divide. Awareness reached 42.9 percent among urban residents, nearly double the 22.7 percent recorded in rural areas.
However, exposure to cyber threats was almost identical regardless of location. Cybersecurity incidents affected 62.7 percent of urban ICT users and 62.1 percent of rural users.
Among regions, MIMAROPA recorded the highest victimization rate, with 73.6 percent of device users reporting cybersecurity incidents. It was followed by the Bicol Region at 72.0 percent and Central Luzon at 67.0 percent.
Respondents with tertiary education posted the highest exposure rate at 68.0 percent, which may reflect greater online activity and higher participation in digital transactions.
SMS fraud or text scams remained the most common cybersecurity threat, affecting 57.1 percent of victims. Other incidents reported included hacking at 7.8 percent, phishing at 6.1 percent, and cyberbullying or cyber libel at 1.1 percent.
BARMM recorded the highest incidence of specific scam-related threats, leading the country in SMS fraud cases at 87.7 percent and phishing incidents at 17.3 percent.
