Cybersecurity Training
Cybersecurity Training
Embedded Files
Date: November 18, 2025 | 9AM-1PM
Venue: 8F Social Hall, PGH Central Block Building
Author: Sofia Ysabelle C. Julia
Human Resource Development Office
The society’s transition towards a digitalized world, consisting of transactions and movements which can be done purely at the tap of our fingers, has made dealing with almost everything easier for the majority. Despite this, not all members of society can shift as quickly as the trends and progress within society, particularly the elderly. Although consistent efforts in understanding how technology works can improve one’s technicality in handling devices and its intricacies, knowing what topics to learn and apply remains a challenge.
This is why the Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) decided to hold a Cybersecurity Training last November 18, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, which was geared for UP Manila senior citizen employees and employees in other age groups that are interested in deepening their skills and knowledge on cybersecurity and technology in general. In this training, the HRDO invited the Director of the Information Management Services (IMS) to talk and teach about the specificities of cybersecurity and ways to apply in one’s work and day-to-day life.
To begin this training, Mr. Jorel A. Manalo, the Supervising Administrative Officer of the HRDO, gave an energetic opening remark. Since this is a cyber-related training, he mentioned to the participants to always be vigilant and to ‘think before you click’ when using online platforms and social media platforms. He also highlighted the importance of this training, particularly on the instances of scams and online hacking, encouraging them to participate so they can be more aware of these occurrences by the end of this training.
Mr. Marbert John C. Marasigan, the Director of IMS, is the invited key speaker in this training. He discussed seven (7) topics in total, beginning with an introductory presentation on cybersecurity, grasping the idea of password and multifactor authentication, as well as avoiding scams. In this part, he showcased the figures regarding cybersecurity, elaborated on the definition and attributes of cybersecurity and ransomware, as well as the importance of following the requirements of password and multifactor authentication.
Moreover, he carefully outlined reminders and tips on what to do when encountering scams in UP email or personal email, phishing emails with an embedded link, or when faced with suspicious files, ransomware, or malware. He reiterated to practice due diligence and never engage with the scammer or malicious individual regardless of one’s intention, lock your accounts and change passwords, and to always report to the UP Manila Cybersecurity Incident Report Team (UPM CSIRT - csirt.upm@up.edu.ph) to prevent it from happening to other employees.
He also engaged and answered in detail regarding the participant’s queries on example scenarios they experienced such as receiving order bills they did not check out, having packages delivered when they did not even order, as well as interacting in winning promos, raffles, and product advertisements regardless of how enticing the product is by repeating the lines, “if it’s too good to be true, then it’s not true at all.”
Following his initial discussion, Mr. Marasigan focused on privacy, social media security, device security, and personal cybersecurity, specifically for online shopping and online banking. In this segment, he reiterated to always think before posting as employees are stewards of governmental assets, most especially if it may reflect the university as an institution such as political stance, lifestyle choices, confidential information, and the like. Furthermore, he reminded everyone of the Do’s and Don’t’s of using university devices and even personal devices when working remotely and using a public wifi. In addition, Mr. Marasigan also provided tips in configuring privacy settings in social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), checking if a website is secure, and ensuring protection from scams in online shopping platforms. By documenting everything, reporting to the IMS or bank authorities, and locking one’s account should come as a primary reaction when social engineering attacks (or scams) occur.
Lastly, Mr. Marasigan explored the topic of workplace cybersecurity for the attendees. In this session, he reiterated that social engineering attacks can also happen within the organization as we are all targets as individuals. He raised the notion of being meticulous about the kinds of data one may disseminate within their social media profiles and being conscious and intolerant of possible social engineering attacks at work that may seem normal but may cause more harm than intended due to leniency (e.g., tailgating for time-ins, pretexting when gaining sensitive information, baiting when coming across an item that is not ours).
Mr. Marasigan concluded his talk by repeating his pointers when it comes to university devices, navigating bank accounts and physical bank or wallet cards for online shopping, and in using their work resources for personal uses.
A total of 78 participants have attended the Cybersecurity training, now filled with the right knowledge and skills to apply what they have learned in navigating the world of cybersecurity and technology.
The Learning and Development Section of the UP Manila HRDO strives to deliver training programs and caravans that are both conducive and beneficial to our fellow UP Manila constituents.
Look out for more exciting updates on events that we’ve got for you here at our website!
Page updated
Report abuse