Information protection - decisive role for digital transformation: Minister

Whether or not Vietnamese people feel safe in digital society and digital economy depends on  how high the security of Vietnamese digital platforms is and the protection levels of Vietnamese information security businesses, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung. Photo: MIC

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung made his remarks at the Vietnam Information Security Day 2021 themed “InformationSecurity in Digital Transformation - Challenges and Solutions” held on November 25. 

He said in Vietnam and around the world, online scams are on the rise during the Covid-19 period, when digital transformation is more accelerated.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), the Authority of Information Security (AIS) has detected and handled 816 fraudulent websites from December 2020 to November 2021. Meanwhile, in the world, the number was more than two million.

In the world, only 60% of software development projects apply the process of coding and evaluating information security before operating. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, this proportion is much lower. “If national digital platforms are like this, the consequences will be huge,” said Minister Hung.

At the event, Nguyen Thanh Phuc, AIS’s Director cited a recent report that every year, each person globally suffers from 3 to 4 cyber attacks. Meanwhile,  many computers, laptops and tablets are not being installed with protection software.

In the face of the increasing threat, the Minister said that if Vietnam wants to be safe, the awareness on cybersecurity must be enhanced. “The higher our sense of cybersecurity, the safer we are,” he underlined. “However, to be safe, we must enhance the use of digital technology because only by  thanks to it, the problem will be revealed, and fixed.”

He added developed countries are more resilient to cyber threat because they are one step ahead by using  digital tools to detect the problem, and improve the shield.

Leading in the use of digital technology and always paying attention to information security is the right approach to boost digital transformation towards a safe digital economy and digital society, the minister emphasized. 

Increasing risks make slow progress of digital transformation. Screenshot: Phi Khanh

The ministry also made recommendations on a four-layer model to protect information technology systems which include: on-site human resources, the protection of enterprises specialized in information security, the inspection and compliance of the information security audit firm, and the oversight of the national cyber security supervision center.

The national digital transformation relies on the transformation of all people,  industries and fields as well as  “Make in Vietnam” information security products, according to Hung.

The minister stressed the importance and trust of the Vietnamese Government in national information security enterprises, adding Vietnamese businesses should be prepared to deal with many big problems in the near future. 

He also noted that safety needs to be present in every step, from development to evaluation and use, and should not be taken lightly at any stage. 

Nguyen Thanh Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Information Security Association, emphasized the challenges in ensuring information security for digital transformation. He emphasized the responsibilities and tasks of information security enterprises in contributing to promoting the process of digital transformation and building digital trust for society in Vietnam.

In 2022, the association will deploy a number of practice-based standards (according to the Best Practice model), including: evaluating businesses that are able to inspect and assess information security to submit for the AIS' Network Trust Ecosystem program, assessing the information security of some popular application platforms such as the e-invoice platform.

In addition, the association will also deploy a survey on users' trust and confidence in digital platforms developed by domestic enterprises.