CMC Cyber Security technicians at work. - Photo cmccybersecurity.com

HÀ NỘI – It is time Việt Nam mastered technologies to make sure local businesses, organisations and people are protected from cyber-attacks, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng said on Friday.

The way an organisation reacted to cyber-attacks showed how prepared it was and how well it was protected, the minister told attendees at the Vietnam Information Security Day 2019 in Hà Nội.

“We used to prioritise the use and development of IT applications, but now, cyber security must be a component in every IT project,” he said.

Though the Government sets the minimum required spending for cyber security at 10 per cent of the IT project capital, the actual spending accounts for only 5 per cent.

“We used to keep the attacks away from public. But the more we share, the better the world is protected,” minister Hùng said.

“The quality of human resources now comes first, then solutions and equipment. There must be a balance between the three factors.”

According to the minister, the Ministry of Information and Communications will assign detailed tasks for leading enterprises to develop a safe ecosystem for e-government systems, smart cities and national information storage.

It was the 12th event for Vietnam Information Security Day and this year, the event was themed ‘Enhancing national cyber security in the digital area’.

More than 700 participants from ministries, sectors, government agencies, and local and international businesses and research institutions attended the event.

Featured at the event were Viettel Cybersecurity and CMC Cyber Security, who are providing solutions for organisations and businesses to improve their protection against cyber-attacks.

“Digital information will foster the growth of cyber security in Việt Nam as digital transformation is inevitable, therefore, information and data will become a big resource, which lures attention from many sides," Vũ Lâm Bằng, Head of Research and Development at CMC Cyber Security – a member of IT group CMC Corporation, told Việt Nam News.

The Government had paid much attention to the sector by issuing new policies and rules to guide its development, he said.

Việt Nam’s cyber security industry was still young compared to other developed economies, Bằng said.

“But the quality of Vietnamese technicians is good enough for the economy and local firms to tap in up-to-date technologies and applications around the world,” he said.

“Cyber security is a knowledge-based industry, which would narrow the gap between Việt Nam and the world and help us master modern technologies faster.”

“We want to develop a better, safer cyber security sector in Việt Nam with Vietnamese firms and organisations,” Lê Quang Hà, Product Director at Viettel Cyber Security, told Việt Nam News.

“Today’s event features many Vietnamese companies and ‘made-in-Vietnam’ products, which prove Việt Nam is now able to master modern technologies,” he said.

There had been improvement in the Vietnamese cyber security sector, though the nation remained one of the top targets for hackers, he added.

“Many Vietnamese specialists and technicians are now considered world-class and they understand what problems are going on in Việt Nam,” Hà said.

“Therefore, they are able to provide solutions and products that can work properly for local firms and organisations while some imported products cannot.” – VNS