The Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team (VNCERT) and PwC Vietnam co-organized a cyber security drill called “Enhancing analytical, investigative and response skills to deal with cyber security incidents” in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang on November 29.

Participating teams in the three cities were tasked with responding to an APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) attack. The teams had to analyze and investigate the problem, thereby identifying the source of the attack, the list of IP addresses the malware was connected to, and the vulnerabilities and attack techniques used to penetrate the system, therefore determining the severity and impact of the attack. By employing realistic attack scenarios, the drill provided participants with important skills that are highly practical.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich, Head of the organizing committee, said that what sets this drill apart is that it was designed as a competition, in which technical professionals could exchange knowledge and experience, improve their skills, and win awards. “Using an automated evaluation and scoring system, the organizing committee has selected three top teams representing the three regions of the country,” he said.

“As the coordinator of cyber security incident response activities throughout the country, VNCERT regularly puts focus on international drills and exercises to improve the capabilities of information security technical staff in all organizations,” said Mr. Nguyen Trong Duong, Director of VNCERT.

ASEAN CERT’s Incident Drill (ACID), Asia-Pacific CERT’s (APCERT) Drill, and the ASEAN-Japan Drill are held annually in Vietnam on a nationwide scale in the northern, central and southern regions. Most recently, in June, a large-scale cyber incident response drill was organized for the first time ever in the central highlands.

The November 29 drill attracted over 100 participants, including IT and cyber security leaders and professionals from member agencies of the nationwide network for cyber security emergency response, provincial departments of information and communications, and organizations currently operating critical information systems in the southern region. It was held in association with the International Data Group (IDG), the Authority of Central Post, the Authority of Radio Frequency, and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

VNCERT entered into a strategic partnership in cyber security incident response for 2018-2020 in January with PwC Vietnam, a member of the PwC network of professional services firms, which has a presence in 158 countries and territories around the world.

PwC Vietnam and VNCERT will work together to strengthen training activities to raise capabilities for timely responses to information security incidents in Vietnamese organizations, further develop the information security services market, and exchange information on new information security incidents, threats and attacks.

“When detection and prevention both fail, incident response emerges as the last line of defense for the network, helping to minimize damage to organizations under attack,” said Mr. Robert Trong Tran, Cyber Security and Privacy Lead at PwC Vietnam. “Through drills and knowledge exchange activities, we wish to share our global experience and capabilities to contribute to developing the people, processes and technologies needed to effectively respond to information security incidents in Vietnam.”

VN Economic Times