Hanoi (VNA) ﷺ– The Authority of Information Security (AIS) under the Ministry of Information and Communications has sent a dispatch to relevant units across the country on strengthening network security for information systems with seven main tasks.

The move was made after incidents caused losses in property and harmed businesses as well as national information security. According to the Authority of Information Security, the trend of cyber-attacks, especially ransomware, is on the rise. Accordingly, the AIS asked information security units to complete examination and evaluation of information safety of their information system before April 15. If any loophole is detected, the units must immediately apply fixing measures, especially for information systems that store and process personal information and personal data, it asked. The authority stressed the need for drastic implementation of tasks stated in Directive 09/CT-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on February 23, 2024 regarding strengthening information safety, ensuring that information systems are approved for safety level by September, and all information security protection plans are fully implemented no later than December. Along with applying the four-layer information safety model and maintaining connections and information sharing with the Authority of Information Security’s National Cyber Security Centre, the units were requested to build plans to respond to incidents and periodically backup systems and important data, the authority said. They were also required to periodically perform threat hunting and engage in the national network of cyber information security incident response as well. Following alerts by the authority and relevant agencies, the units should regularly update information security patches for important systems, while using AIS-developed platforms such as IRLab (Information Retrieval Lab) and DFLab (Digital Forensic Lab) to receive early warnings and support in incident solving, the authority suggested.

Statistics from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) show that as many as 1,812 cyber-attacks were detected in Vietnam in the first quarter of this year, a drop of 38% compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Public Security, more than 20 million cyberattack alerts were uncovered in this period, up 33% year-on-year. In March alone, there were over 7 million warnings, up 6% year-on-year. The information systems of many agencies, organisations and enterprises were attacked, with data stolen, interfaces changed, and management rights usurped. The Ministry of Public Security recommended agencies, organisations and businesses to improve cybersecurity, and people to join efforts in reporting crimes as well as staying prudent so as to avoid being tricked. In the second quarter of this year, the will develop and issue a guidebook on information system security by levels. It will contain instructions to ensure information security at ministerial and provincial levels, and documents to supplement information security criteria. This will be put into an official dispatch on technical instructions for implementing the project on developing the application of population database, e-identification, and e-authentication for the national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period with a vision to 2030./.