“In cybersecurity, there’s no such thing as ‘one approach fits all.’ Think outside the box.” Cybersecurity professional Peter Joshua Brion shared this message on October 4, 2026, at the Day 1 kickoff of Packet Capture: Beneath the Network. It is billed as the first-ever international Networking x Cybersecurity Capture-the-Flag (CTF) challenge, bringing networking systems and security operations together in one game.
The gamified event was made possible by Cisco NetConnect PUP, CyberPH, MQ CyberSec (Australia), WorkFlow PH, and ICPEP.SE PUP. It was a joint effort of student communities, industry professionals, and an international organization, held with the Huawei Cloud Developer Group Philippines at the Huawei Showroom, Milestone 4th Avenue.
INFRASTRUCTURE OF KNOWLEDGE
Packet Capture: Beneath the Network aims to give aspiring cybersecurity and networking professionals a space to learn from industry practitioners, test their skills, and connect with a community that will grow with them. Mastering the fundamentals of cybersecurity and networking matters because every advanced defense, and every attack, is built on how networks and protocols actually work. The skills we build today are the foundation for the future.
Alfie Ordona, senior site reliability engineer (SRE) at Standard Chartered, shared how those skills are tested by modern cybersecurity threats in real industry situations.
AI AS VULNERABILITY
The fundamentals now extend to a new frontier. AI overlaps many industries, and because AI agents can help build systems and applications in minutes, it has also become a new attack surface. That speed makes AI-powered applications vulnerable, since attackers can target the AI workflows they depend on, and the same technology can be used to produce fake and misleading information that is difficult to identify.
Raphael Louie Miguel, a Tutorials Dojo representative, reminded participants that resilience goes beyond code: it also means learning to identify fake and misleading information, because the tools we rely on can be turned against us.
COMMUNITY AS DEFENSE
No one defends alone, and the strongest defense is the community you build, as the organizations behind this event show. Dr. Natasha Fernandes, senior lecturer at Macquarie University, brought a global view of hacking as an opportunity that opens the door to many careers. She showed that securing a system is not a single path, with roles such as chief information security officer, ethical hacker, risk analyst, and security architect.
Clarisse Jem Salazar, community lead of WorkFlow PH, carried this spirit forward in “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women in Cybersecurity.” For students, the road into the field can follow a clear sequence:
- Curiosity
- Communities
- Projects
- Leadership
- Internships
- Cybersecurity
Her session highlighted opportunities for women across the technical workforce and encouraged participants to pursue cybersecurity careers through mentorship and community support.
SECURITY FOR SOCIETY
These lessons matter well beyond the venue. For the Filipino people, and especially for students and professionals who want to work passionately in cybersecurity and networking, Day 1 showed what the field asks for: strong fundamentals, sound judgment, and a community to lean on. The talks connected classroom learning to real industry situations, so participants left with a clearer picture of where their skills can take them. The learning does not stop here: this is just the start of something bigger, and as the event moves to its next stage, the learning continues through experience.
THE CHALLENGE AWAITING US
The real challenge of this project is not just skill building. It is authentic, consistent learning, a passion-driven career, and the courage to build systems and a society that stay tough against adversity and threats. The next step is yours, so join the challenge on Day 2 and put what you learned on Day 1 into practice. Follow CyberPH for the latest details and updates.