Scheduled for August 23 at the GEM Center (sited in District 1 of HCMC), the event “Discussion and Exhibition about Cyber Security in Southern Vietnam 2024” is jointly organized by the Authority of Information Security under the Ministry of Information and Communications, the HCMC Department of Information and Communications, and the Southern Branch of the Vietnam Information Security Association (VNISA).
The event aims at delivering necessary updates in IT and information safety to state agencies, businesses, and organizations located in HCMC and the Southern region which are carrying out their own digital transformation process.
The year 2024 has witnessed a significant surge in information technology, with the proliferation of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G applications. However, these advancements have also brought unprecedented cybersecurity challenges. Cyberattacks have become increasingly cunning, targeting critical infrastructure, personal sensitive data, and corporate databases.
During the first half of this year, a series of ransomware attacks targeted large enterprises in Vietnam, crippling systems, disrupting operations, and causing substantial financial losses. Many businesses were forced to pay hefty ransoms to recover their data and restore their systems, leading to loss of customer and partner trust.
The damages extended beyond economic losses, impacting the reputation and competitiveness of Vietnamese businesses in the global market.
Therefore, this upcoming event will focus on hot topics like cybersecurity in cashless transactions, protecting information technology systems supporting HCMC’s digital transformation, the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in enhancing traditional cybersecurity solutions, and authentication in an era of advanced hacking techniques.
Additionally, the event will feature a series of cybersecurity activities, including a conference for government officials and business leaders, a cybersecurity scientific seminar, a HCMC cybersecurity drill, and the ASEAN Cybersecurity Student Competition 2024.
Chairman Ngo Vi Dong of VNISA – Southern Branch shared that the shift to digital platforms and applications has constantly exposed organizations to significant cybersecurity risks. Vietnamese organizations, particularly those controlling shared databases, are vulnerable to cyberattacks anytime, and the numerous ransomware attacks in HCMC in 2024 have highlighted the severity of this threat.
Therefore, this event will share information on cybersecurity, the latest domestic and international solutions to combat cybercrime.
According to a survey conducted by the Southern Branch of VNISA, in 2024, many organizations and businesses have outsourced cybersecurity monitoring services to optimize costs (an increase from 20 percent to over 50 percent compared to 2023). Data backup to prevent ransomware attacks is an effective measure, yet 59 percent of organizations have not implemented or prioritized backing up critical data.
The survey also revealed that 61 percent of organizations have adopted cybersecurity measures to mitigate the impact of attacks, while 13 percent are interested but lack the necessary information and resources.
