Reflection Paper on The Onsite Seminar Title: 4th Regional Cybersecurity Conference 2025

 

        I attended the 4th Regional Cybersecurity Conference 2025 at Holy Angel University on October 3, 2025. The theme, “Cyber Secure Gens: Bridging Knowledge, Building Defenders Across All Ages,” emphasized the importance of cybersecurity awareness for all age groups.

        The conference brought together students, professionals, and advocates to discuss key issues and trends in digital security. Plenary sessions covered topics such as “Cyber Hygiene,” “Human Firewalls,” “Data Control,” “Cyber Upkeeps,” and “Future-Proofing Cyber Defenders.”

        Led by Ms. Carisma Caro, Mr. Chris Almocera, and Dr. Marlon I. Tayag, the event provided an engaging platform for learning about cybersecurity's impact on personal and professional environments.

        

    The webinar was highly informative and significantly expanded our understanding of cybersecurity. It featured an extensive session with numerous guest speakers who discussed various topics related to the field. Each speaker excelled in presenting their subject matter.

        The discussion began with a friendly introduction that laid the groundwork for grasping basic concepts and definitions before moving on to more complex information about cybersecurity. Although some aspects were challenging to understand, the seminar effectively highlighted key risks, such as data breaches and online scams. It’s alarming to realize that anyone can fall victim to these threats. One speaker emphasized the importance of remaining cautious, even when interacting with friends and family—essentially, to "trust no one" in the digital realm.

        Securing our personal data starts with us. One of the best aspects of the seminar was a live demonstration showing how someone could be tracked using a specific application capable of accessing private files. A student volunteered to demonstrate this vulnerability, revealing how her phone had been hijacked, allowing the hacker to record everything—her camera, voice, photos, and files—without her knowledge. It was terrifying to witness, and it's chilling to think that many may already be experiencing such invasions of privacy.

        There was also a video where a group of individuals approached civilians and successfully guessed their names, occupations, and other personal details. By the end of their predictions, they explained how they gathered this information: skilled individuals searched online and quickly collected data about people passing by. This highlighted the importance of not sharing everything online, particularly personal locations or home details that could expose one’s vulnerabilities.

        One speaker shared a personal story about his mother, who fell victim to an online scam. He expressed his frustration at being unable to recover her lost funds. Overall, the seminar was essential in teaching us how to stay safe and be vigilant online. We must take responsibility for securing our personal data to prevent data breaches.

        It's also crucial to help our friends and family, especially the elderly, by updating them about best practices online. We should teach them to double-check suspicious links, pages, information, PINs, and OTPs, among other things. This will help them remain cautious and avoid sharing personal information online, thereby reducing the risk of cybercrimes.

        Finally, we need to find effective ways to educate our elders since we may not always be there to protect their data.

     

   This seminar has taught me valuable lessons and practices for maintaining and improving the security of my personal data. It has helped me stay cautious and vigilant online. I've learned to share only vague information and to use passwords that only I know. When managing multiple accounts, it's crucial to have different passwords for each one. Although it can be challenging to memorize various passwords, it's much safer than using the same password for all your accounts, as a hacker can easily gain access by breaching just one of them. Additionally, we should educate our friends and family about online safety, especially those who might not be aware of the risks, as it can be difficult to recover from any damage that has already been done.

    I hope to attend more seminars like this. I look forward to learning and expanding my understanding of cybersecurity.