Delegates attend the opening ceremony of a live-fire cyber security drill aimed at bolstering information security resilience in HCM City on December 24. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — A training programme paired with a live-fire cybersecurity drill aimed at bolstering information security resilience held by the city police department and Quang Trung Software City officially began in HCM City on Wednesday.

Actually held over five days from December 22, it has brought together security agencies, technical specialists and local authorities to strengthen readiness in the face of increasingly complex cyberthreats.

The organisers said 2025 saw a sharp escalation in cybersecurity threats, both in scale and sophistication, with attackers making increasing use of malware, deepfake technology and automated tools.

In the third quarter of 2025 alone Việt Nam recorded more than 547,000 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, twice as many as in the same period last year, besides nearly 4,000 phishing domains and the exposure of over 500 million data records.

Cyberattacks are also rapidly evolving from conventional methods to advanced applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning.

These technologies allow attackers to automate reconnaissance, exploit system vulnerabilities, evade defence mechanisms, and adjust attack strategies in real time, underscoring the limitations of static, rule-based and manual security models.

Against this backdrop, a live-fire cybersecurity drill has become an urgent necessity.

By using realistic simulation scenarios, the exercise enables system operators to evaluate incident response capabilities, review the effectiveness of existing security policies and procedures, identify vulnerabilities at an early stage, and enhance coordination and preparedness among personnel in the event of an actual cyber incident.

Cybersecurity is no longer solely a technical concern but is increasingly intertwined with national sovereignty in cyberspace, as reaffirmed in the 2025 Law on Cybersecurity and the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW.

Addressing the event’s opening ceremony, Senior Colonel Bùi Thanh Trực, deputy director of the HCM City police, said this year’s drill centres on the city’s information reception and response portal serving citizens, businesses and organisations.

“The exercise is designed to strengthen the detection and response capabilities of technical teams, test the effectiveness of the city’s multi-layered defence systems protecting critical information infrastructure, and further improve coordination mechanisms among relevant agencies during cyber incidents,” he said.

The drill also contributes to ensuring compliance with regulations on periodic cybersecurity exercises stipulated in Circular No. 03/2017/TT-BTTTT and Decree No. 85/2016/NĐ-CP.

In parallel with the drill, the department is rolling out an advanced cyber incident response training programme for more than 1,000 leaders, officials and civil servants who are not IT specialists across 168 localities.

The training is conducted through a mix of in-person sessions at three central venues and online broadcasts to local authorities.

Besides, during the training and drill period, the southern chapter of the National Cyber Security Association is hosting a cyber security technology exhibition on new solutions, platforms and application models in information and cybersecurity. — VNS