16-year-old N.H.A. from Quan Thành Commune, Nghệ An Province, has been charged with illegally accessing the country's national vaccination information system and selling approximately 20 million personal data records. — VNA/VNS Photo

NGHỆ AN — A high school student in central Việt Nam has been charged with illegally accessing the country's national vaccination information system and selling approximately 20 million personal data records, authorities said on Wednesday.

Police in Lâm Đồng Province said the suspect, identified as N.H.A., was charged on June 5 with illegally providing or using information on computer and telecommunications networks and illegally accessing computer or telecommunications networks under Articles 288 and 289 of the Penal Code.

According to investigators, the suspect, a Grade 10 student from Quan Thành Commune, Nghệ An Province, taught himself programming skills through online resources before developing algorithms and exploiting security vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access to the National Vaccination Information System, which is managed by the Ministry of Health's Department of Preventive Medicine.

Authorities said the student collected personal information belonging to citizens across the country and later advertised and sold the data through online groups specialising in data trading.

Investigators estimate that about 20 million personal data records were obtained and sold, generating illicit profits of more than VNĐ100 million (about US$3,800).

The case emerged after cybercrime investigators detected multiple accounts in closed online groups offering large quantities of personal data for sale, including information related to residents of Lâm Đồng Province.

Lâm Đồng Police said the illegal trade in personal information poses significant risks to privacy and can facilitate fraud, financial scams and other criminal activities.

Police working with N.H.A. and his guardians. — VNA/VNS Photo

This case serves as a warning about the growing involvement of some young people in cyber-related offences. Police said some teenagers mistakenly view data trading and unauthorised access to information systems as easy ways to make money online without fully understanding the legal consequences.

"All illegal activities in cyberspace leave digital traces and will be detected and handled in accordance with the law," Lâm Đồng police said in a statement.

Under Vietnamese law, the collection, purchase, sale, exchange or disclosure of personal data without authorisation is prohibited. Depending on the severity of the offence, violators may face administrative penalties or criminal prosecution, including fines of up to billions of đồng and prison sentences of up to 12 years.

Police urged government agencies, businesses and organisations to strengthen cybersecurity measures, regularly review system vulnerabilities and improve safeguards for personal data. They also called on schools and parents to provide greater education on legal responsibilities and safe internet use.

Members of the public were advised to protect their personal information, avoid sharing sensitive data with unverified websites or applications, regularly update passwords, enable multi-factor authentication and report suspected data-related violations to authorities. — VNS