HCM City – Information safety and cyber security are becoming a constant factor and the fight between cyber criminals and network safety professionals is unrelenting as the world steps into the digital era and all information is placed in cyber space, a seminar heard in HCM City on Thursday.

“Cyber criminals are proliferating as technologies like artificial intelligence and big data, mobile devices and the internet become popular,” Deputy Minister of Information and Telecommunication Nguyễn Thành Hưng told the 2018 Việt Nam Information Safety Day conference, which this year had the theme “Cyber security for the age of artificial intelligence and smart devices.”

“Việt Nam is ranked around 100^th in the world in cyber security because many computers and smart devices have been attacked, but Việt Nam can take this up as a challenge and make cyber security a key product to win international customers.

“AI is now increasingly used in cyber security and also to attack networks. Therefore, it has great significance for information safety.”

Trịnh Ngọc Minh, deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Information Security Association (VNISA)’s southern branch, spoke about a survey on information safety in the south done recently by his agency.

“Lack of attention from leaders, inability to identify appropriate IT security systems, lack of funding for IT solutions, and inability to maximise efficiency of investment in IT are weaknesses [the survey identified].

“Widespread cloud usage, IT outsourcing and IT expertise are the advantages of the south.

“Fighting malware is like a cat and mouse game. Hackers create new kinds of malware, new types of attacks, and protectors must develop new solutions.

“Hackers might be moving to a fifth version malware and defending using a single tool will not be enough. An information technology structure with total visibility and detection and threat response capability are what enterprises need.

“Global threat intelligence and application of artificial intelligence are now the most important tools in fighting hackers.”

Việt Nam now ranks 17^th in terms of high risk for internet users when they are online and second among nations in terms of malware infection, he quoted the report as saying.

Information safety policies were absent at 57 per cent of enterprises and organisations that took part in the survey and 70 per cent of them said “No” when asked if they plan to set up an ISO 27001-standard information security management system, he said.

The latter rate was the same as last year, showing no progress had been made, he said.

About 80 of organisations and enterprises did not have information safety experts though 70 per cent had IT personnel.

Thirty nine per cent of the respondents, all IT personnel, said their company’s leaders did not pay enough attention to information safety.

To improve the situation, Minh said: “The legal framework should be completed to ensure better information safety. Relevant authorities must focus on ensuring network security for important infrastructure networks.

“Electronic government must be accelerated to take advantage of IT capabilities.

“Enterprises should adopt new IT technologies but in close conjunction with cyber security.”

Nguyễn Trọng Huấn, a Kaspersky Lab Certified Professional, said, “Cyber security is a non-stop and continuous process. It requires resolving all threats with a comprehensive and multi-layered protection solution.”

The 15^th Việt Nam Information Safety Day is an annual conference organised by the VNISA, Việt Nam Computer Emergency Response Team and the Ministry of Information and Communications. -- VNS