Organizations Overlook AI Risk as Governance Fails to Keep Up

Companies are rushing to adopt AI, but new research from Trend Micro reveals many organizations are doing it despite serious security concerns. In the Philippines, businesses admit pressure to keep up with competitors is pushing AI rollout faster than governance and protection can handle, raising fears over data exposure, shadow AI tools, and cyberattacks powered by automation. 

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in workplaces, experts say the real challenge is no longer just using AI, but controlling it safely before the risks grow even bigger.

Trend Micro Predicts 2026 as the Year Cybercrime Becomes Fully Industrialized

Trend Micro warns that 2026 will be the year cybercrime becomes fully automated as AI and autonomous agents give attackers the ability to run entire campaigns at machine speed, pushing threats to a level businesses have never seen before. With ransomware evolving, supply chains at risk, and AI systems becoming prime targets, organizations are urged to shift from reacting to attacks to building proactive and resilient security across cloud, AI workflows and development pipelines.

Trend Micro Reinvents Proactive Security with Digital Twin Technology

Imagine testing cyberattacks before they happen. That’s now possible with Trend Micro’s new Digital Twin cyber resilience model. Powered by NVIDIA accelerated computing, it simulates real-world threats, tests defenses, and helps businesses make smarter, faster security decisions—without risking live systems.

With agentic AI at its core, this innovation marks a shift from reactive security to continuous, predictive protection across IT, cloud, OT, and AI-powered systems. It’s a game-changer for risk management, especially as threats grow more complex and harder to detect.

From hospitals to enterprises, early adopters say it’s helping them spot hidden threats, optimize their security investments, and build stronger business resilience. 

Trend Micro Platform Exceeds 10K Large Enterprise Customers, Extends Proven Solution to SMEs

Global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704) has achieved new growth and availability milestones for its cybersecurity platform. Trend Vision One™ now serves over 10,000 enterprise customers worldwide and has also been extended to help small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) better manage their cyber risk.

Trend Micro Report Reveals Malicious URL Attacks Prevalent in PH, 160 Billion Cyber Threats Blocked in 2023 Worldwide

• More than 76 million malicious URLs were accessed in the Philippines last year

• Global ransomware detections fell 14% as alternative attack strategies evolved, yet an increase in incidents was seen in Southeast Asia

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, revealed a 10% annual increase in total threats blocked in 2023, as detailed in its latest report, Calibrating Expansion: Annual Cybersecurity Threat Report. The report warns that attackers are using more advanced methods to target fewer victims with the potential for higher financial gains.

Global Law Enforcers Seek Trend Micro’s Help in Taking Down Top Ransomware Threat Group LockBit

Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today revealed its critical role in helping global law enforcement partners disrupt mega-ransomware group LockBit, and kill the viability of its long-term malware plans. Through undercover infiltration, Trend helped prevent the release of the group’s next malware products and automatically installed protection for Trend Micro customers, even before the group themselves had finished testing.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Robert McArdle, a leader in Trend Micro’s cybercrime research team and collaborator with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Crime Agency (NCA), said: “We are honored that our threat intelligence is uniquely valuable to global law enforcement in the shared mission to make the world safer.”

This group was responsible for about 25 percent* of all ransomware leaks in 2023 and caused billions of dollars in losses for thousands of global victims over the past four years. Due to the potential damage that this group can cause, the Philippine National Police (PNP) last year warned Filipinos about LockBit and recommended several cyber hygiene practices to avoid becoming a victim to the group.

McArdle continued, “Last week Trend secured global Microsoft users from a critical vulnerability and this week we were a part of dethroning the most critical threat actor group in the world. Now, insiders aren’t naïve enough to assume this will eliminate the crime group, but we know that no sane criminal would want to be involved with this group again.”

Details from behind the scenes are unfolding and include cryptocurrency seizure, arrests, indictments, imposing sanctions and additional technical support for victims. The operation took over LockBit’s leak site, disclosing information and personal identities of group members and details of their previous works. These actions essentially make the group unwelcome and untrusted in the cybercrime world—and therefore unviable as an underground business.

Ransomware is one of the most serious cyber threats facing organizations today, known for disrupting schools, hospitals, governments, and businesses and imperiling critical national infrastructure. It does all of this while lining the pockets of a few small cybercrime groups: last year, victims paid over $1 billion to these groups and their affiliates, a record figure.

This work ultimately supported the following outcomes:

• Trend’s delivery of protection in advance against LockBit-NG-Dev for its customers.
• The neutralization of a potentially prolific strain of ransomware—preventing its use in future enterprises these actors may look to run.
• A law enforcement operation that will hopefully see the end of LockBit as we know it and sets a new benchmark for international collaboration across law enforcement and private partners.

While LockBit was, without doubt, the largest and most impactful Ransomware operation globally, this disruption makes it very clear that all criminal affiliates should strongly reconsider any involvement with them in the future and that in partnering with this organization, these associates have put themselves at increased risk of law enforcement action.

A blog covering the findings from Trend’s analysis of the next version of LockBit ransomware malware was issued by NCA and can be accessed here: https://research.trendmicro.com/lockbit-blog.

*Based on Trend Micro analysis and tracking of ransomware leak sites, LockBit accounted for approximately 25 percent of all ransomware leaks in 2023.

Companies, consumers to benefit from improved EU rules on data protection, says Trend Micro

Consumers can expect better protection online as the European Union (EU) implements stronger data protection rules that effectively cover companies across the globe, according to global leader in IT security Trend Micro. 

Take part in making the Internet a safer place and join Trend Micro's "What's Your Story? Art Caravan 2017”

Earlier this year, customers of a local bank received an email requiring them to update their bank records by clicking a link disguised as the bank’s website. Little did some of them know that their credit card information would be compromised. 

Trend promotes Online Privacy & Security with “What’s Your Story” Video Contest for Young Filipinos

Want to win cash prizes by making viral videos? Who would say no?