Advisories & News
Press Release
PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL TORONTO OFFICERS AND STAFF ATTEND WEBINAR ON “MANAGING CYBER SECURITY RISK (PART 2)”
2020-09-15
PR 49-2020
8 September 2020, Toronto, Ontario – The Officers and Staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto participated in the webinar entitled, “Managing Cyber Security Risk Part 2”, organized by the Association of Filipino Canadian Accountants (AFCA) on 02 September 2020.
During this times of the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipino-Canadian community organizations organize and offer free webinars, which the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto is taking advantage of to equip its personnel with knowledge and skills that are beneficial for self-development, as well as for improvement of public service, especially in assisting distressed Filipinos in its jurisdiction.
The AFCA webinar attended by the Consulate General is beneficial not only for the office but the office personnel as well. The lecture and Q&A dealt with topics as managing cybersecurity risk in typical personal and business scenarios, and awareness and understanding of cybersecurity threats of popular applications, TikTok, and digital communications. Topics like cyber security insurance, data encryption, phishing via email, phone and on-site visit, and the importance of getting sound advice from an Information Technology (IT) Specialist, were also discussed.
As Consul General Orontes V. Castro said in his remarks before the lecture started, the webinar comes on a very opportune time as everyone and everything is going virtual during these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also mentioned, “Our reliance on social media, networks, computers, programs, and data have all contributed to our vulnerability to cyber threats. This is the reason why we should be adequately informed on how to manage cyber security risks.”
The resource speaker, Ms. Joyce Harkness, is a graduate of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. She is a tech leader based in Australia. She is the Executive Director of the Harkness Leadership Edge, Group Executive & CIO of the Avant Mutual, and a 204 Telsra Businesswomen Awardee.
AFCA is a non-profit organization of Filipino accounting professionals based in Toronto with about 1,000 members. It is affiliated with the National Council of Philippine American Canadian Accountants (NCPACA) and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). As a way of giving back to the community, the organization is actively involved in the free income tax preparation programme of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for seniors and low-income group. It also helps train new immigrants on computerized bookkeeping. Some of its members are also actively involved with other Filipino-Canadian organizations in their individual capacities, especially in the field of finance and audit.
Consul General Orontes V. Castro thanked the resource speaker for the valuable information imparted to those who attended the webinar, especially the Philippine Consulate General personnel. He also expressed appreciation to AFCA for the helpful, practical, and effective projects and services being offered by the organization to the Filipino-Canadian community in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Another AFCA webinar is scheduled again soon and will likewise be attended by the Philippine Consulate General Toronto personnel.
Top Photo – Left: AFCA President Nimfa Villaroman-Santos welcomed the participants to the Cyber Security webinar. Right: Resource Speaker Ms. Joyce Harkness.
Bottom Photo: The participants at the webinar. – END