Deputy head of the Central Economics Committee Nguyen Duc Hien said at Vietnam Security Summit 2020 held recently in Hanoi that ensuring cybersecurity is considered a key factor for successful and sustainable digital transformation.

The digital transformation process has led to an exponential increase in the number of IoT devices and data capacity generated and processed. The data are becoming important resources of the nation, institutions and individuals. At the same time, the risks of information being stolen and counterfeited is increasing.

Attackers use AI and Big Data when carrying out cyberattacks. Malware is becoming smarter with lifelike counterfeiting technology. Celebrities’ videos can be counterfeited, while voice recognition systems can be broken by recreating voices based on voice samples obtained. Also, botnets from IoT devices with cyberattack capability can affect the entire or partial internet network of a nation.

Colonel Nguyen Dang Luc, deputy head of the Government Cypher Commission, said cyberattacks and cybercrime are constantly increasing. They steal data and state secret information, and sabotage information systems. More and more cybercriminal organizations and reactionary organizations have been established, causing serious consequences, and threatening social order and safety, political stability and national security.

The Center for Information Technology and Cyber Security Surveillance under the Government Cipher Commission, which is in charge of monitoring and ensuring information security for 20 key IT networks of the Party, State and Government agencies, reported that it has discovered thousands of dangerous cyberattacks targeting the IT networks of important Party and State agencies.

More than 500,000 network attack warnings have been recorded so far this year under many different forms, most of which exploited security vulnerabilities and used malware.

AIS Deputy head Nguyen Khac Lich, citing a report saying that 500 cyberattacks are recorded every second and more than 300 malicious codes are created every minute. The cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and dangerous, he said.

Vietnam's cybersecurity and safety ranking in Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) has improved in recent years. In 2019, Vietnam ranked 50th out of 193 countries, up 50 spots compared with 2017, 11th in Asia-Pacific and 5th in ASEAN.

In the past, Vietnam had to import all products for information security and cyberattack prevention. But in the last two years, a ‘Make in Vietnam’ ecosystem of cybersecurity products has been generated, covering 90 percent of eight main product lines.

Vietnam aims to become a powerhouse in cybersecurity, listed in the top 30 countries in GCI by 2030. According to Lich, to reach that goal, Vietnam needs to focus on five major issues – legal framework, technology, organization, capability improvement, and cooperation.

Phuong Nguyen

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