Global cybersecurity leader Palo Alto Networks brought its Ignite on Tour series to Manila late August, rallying Philippine enterprises to act decisively on artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud security as adoption accelerates and risks multiply.
The event, part of a global roadshow, gathered IT leaders, executives, and cybersecurity professionals to confront one of today’s biggest paradoxes: the same AI tools that unlock innovation are also empowering cyber adversaries.
Palo Alto Networks’ latest State of Generative AI report revealed an 890% surge in AI traffic over the past year, showing unprecedented gains in efficiency. Yet the report also flagged a twofold increase in data loss prevention incidents—proof that adoption is outpacing safeguards.
“While the enthusiasm in adopting AI for productivity is incredible, security is lagging behind,” said Simon Green, president of Asia-Pacific and Japan at Palo Alto Networks, in his keynote address. “This has led to adversaries being more empowered than ever before. This means cyber risks are not only growing but evolving at a pace that’s difficult to keep up with. The truth is, the only real defense against a bad guy with AI is a good guy with AI.”
For the Philippines, the timing of this message is critical. The country is positioning itself as a regional hub for cyber innovation, with AI investments projected to help drive a market worth $3.5 billion by 2030. By 2026, forecasts suggest 90% of online content will be AI-generated. Green cautioned that while this creates enormous opportunity, it also introduces new forms of risk.
“While no industry is immune and critical infrastructure is highly vulnerable, we already have the tools, intelligence, and partnerships to fight back,” Green said. “While threats may be growing in scale and sophistication, these are also times of great optimism. AI-driven solutions allow us to outsmart AI-powered threats with AI itself.”
This theme—optimism matched with urgency—resonated throughout the Manila event. Green described conversations with Philippine executives who admit they lack visibility and control over how thousands of employees are already experimenting with AI. For him, the solution lies in shifting strategy: “Cybersecurity is not just an IT problem, it’s a business risk. If you don’t build resilience now, you’ll be left behind.”
Attendees also heard how adversaries are moving faster thanks to AI. Green shared data showing ransomware creation time shrinking from 12 hours in 2022 to just three hours today—possibly 15 minutes within the next year. Yet the average organization still takes four to six days to detect an intrusion. “If attackers can get in, get what they need, and leave before they’re even noticed, we need to completely rethink how we deploy security,” he said.
Palo Alto Networks positioned its unified, AI-powered platform as the way forward—simplifying protection while empowering lean IT teams. Its newly introduced PAN-OS® 12.1 Orion embodies that strategy. The system automatically discovers every cloud and AI asset, continuously assesses them for risks, and deploys protections where gaps appear. With built-in load balancing and a secure multicloud networking mesh, Orion eliminates the need for fragmented point products and scales natively as organizations grow.
The Manila stop of Ignite on Tour underscored that the Philippines sits at a crossroads: as it races ahead with AI adoption, it must also race to secure the future. “We want to make sure enterprises here in the Philippines are not just aware of the risks but are empowered to act,” Green said. “Because when it comes to cybersecurity, the gap between awareness and action can make all the difference.”
