The Corporate Compliance and Data Protection Officer of leading fiber broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc., Atty. Laurice Esteban-Tuason, was recently lauded as the Best Data Privacy Officer (in the sector of General Management and Services) an award conferred by the Philippines’ leading professional information security organization, the Information Security Officers Group (ISOG).

Converge Corporate Compliance and Data Protection Officer Atty. Laurice Esteban-Tuason (center) stands with other individuals awarded for their excellence in safeguarding their companies’ information.

“As the Data Protection Officer of Converge, with a degree in cybersecurity, I regard data privacy as a human right and a fundamental part of our sustainability agenda. We made sure to enshrine this principle in the practice and policies of Converge and I am honored this is being recognized and validated by the country’s professional group of information security officers,” said Atty. Esteban-Tuason, during the ISOG Cybersecurity Excellence Awarding ceremony held at Peninsula Manila.

The ISOG I AM SECURE Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, now on its second run, recognizes outstanding Filipino cybersecurity experts and leaders who contributed and shaped the country’s cyber landscape and made an exceptional impact in their respective fields. Atty. Esteban-Tuason stands among only 17 recipients of the prestigious award.

Atty. Laurice Esteban-Tuason is among the handful of women taking up a senior leadership role in Converge. Atty. Esteban-Tuason formerly held roles ABS-CBN and in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

To ensure that Converge’s data practices uphold the highest standards of security and privacy, Atty. Laurice Esteban-Tuason implemented essential components that are vital in building a culture of privacy within the organization. Advocating for data minimization and enhanced security at the same time embedding privacy into the architecture of IT systems and business practices shifted the mindset of everyone from a reactive to a more proactive approach.

Through stakeholder engagement, privacy risk assessments have been instrumental in identifying and mitigating potential privacy risks, and by simply staying ahead of compliance requirements and addressing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, the team safeguards Converge from legal obligations, fines and penalties, and regulatory risks.

To strengthen Converge’s resiliency and antifragility, in 2023,  the Data Privacy Team held its first data Privacy Breach drill which underscores the organization’s commitment to enhance its incident response plans.

As the Data Protection Officer, Atty. Laurice endeavors to integrate Quality Management System and Information Security Management System which will create a robust management framework that enhances the overall organizational performance.

(from left: Converge AVP and Head of Data Privacy Atty. Eumir Espiritu, Atty. Laurice Esteban-Tuason, VP and Head of Enterprise Risk Management Jeio Orfano, and Chief Sustainability Officer and Chief Commercial Officer Benjamin Azada)

Additionally, in the past year, the Corporate Governance and Data Privacy team was empowered through the recruitment of additional Compliance Officers for Privacy and mobilized a team of Corporate Governance and Data Privacy Champions. The office led the conduct of a Data Privacy Awareness Campaign across the organization and third-party partners.

The esteemed panel of judges include ISOG core members and institution partners including Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Bankers’ Association of the Philippines, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National Privacy Commission, IT Interaction Philippines, and many other industry experts.

The ISOG Cybersecurity Excellence Awards recognizes executives in key positions safeguarding their company’s information, cyber security, and sustainability such as Chief Information Security Officer or Information Security Officer,Chief Risk Officer or Risk Management Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Data Privacy Officer.