Strengthening Information Security to Protect Privacy in Today’s Risk Landscape

With the growing popularity of internet, information security and privacy in the internet environment is becoming more urgent. The risk of losing information security is on the rise in both quantity and severity. Before sophisticated threats and security compliance burdens, conventional security methods and systems are no longer effective to ensure the security of information and data for organisations. We need more advanced tools and techniques to protect the interests of organisations, ensure safety, and control applications and data, including sensitive information and intellectual property, while maintaining flexible working environment, enhancing business performance, and increasing adaptability and growth rate.

 

According to the Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2014 by Kaspersky Lab, an international software security group, there were 1.4 million malware attacks on Android devices in 2014, an increase of four times over 2013. Vietnam ranked 6th in the worth by the number of mobile devices attacked by malicious software. The risk of losing information security is at an alarming rate while Vietnam has nearly 50 percent of users are vulnerable to malware infections when they use the Internet on computers, ranked fourth in the world. Nearly 70 percent of computer users are susceptible to malwares and local malicious software (via USB, memory cards, etc.), ranked first in the world.

 

Besides, Microsoft estimates that approximately 80 percent of computers in Vietnam are infected malwares and malicious software. According to a recent report by the Vietnam Information Security Association (VNISA), a majority of agencies and organisation in Vietnam allow personal devices (mobile phones and tablets) to access business networks but up to 74 percent of those devices do not have any information security solutions. These figures have raised a very big concern and place a considerable burden on leaders and IT specialists to seek out counter measures to their risk of loss of information in the current environment.

 

Researches also show that governments in the Asia - Pacific region express their concerns over unauthorised access to nationally classified information (57 percent), critical infrastructure under attack (56 percent), and the stealing of trade secrets and competition information. Database is considered the most critical part but it is one of most vulnerable properties because owners make light of investment for database security. In Vietnam, very few agencies, ministries and departments have strong network security divisions to counterattack the risk of information loss in the current era of economic espionage.

 

Speaking at the conference, Mr Nguyen Minh Hong, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, said that Vietnam has over 30 million with regular access to the internet. IT is also widely applied by State operations, citizens and businesses. Besides, information security in the internet environment is also becoming increasingly critical as the risk of loss of information security is on the rise in both number and severity.

 

Remarking on Vietnam’s current information technology development policies, he added that the Party and the State have deployed IT applications and information security works as stated in Resolution 36-NQ/TW of the Politburo on accelerated IT application and development for sustainable development and international integration and the Draft Law on Information Security; set up the Information Security Bureau, and conducted many other activities. He recommended that Vietnam needs more advanced tools and techniques to protect the interests of organisations, ensure safety, and control applications and data, including sensitive information and intellectual property, while maintaining flexible working environment, enhancing business performance, and increasing adaptability and growth rate.

 

Mr Tran Van Thanh, Deputy General Director of the General Security Department under the Ministry of Public Security, said organisations, individuals and businesses have to cope with the risk of data leakage on the one hand and renovate solutions to capture and capitalise on potential business opportunities from network applications like mobile technology, cloud computing, e-commerce and big data. Therefore, information safety and security not only serves as a technology project but also a critical factor with direct impacts on business decisions to ensure security capacity, promote growth and development potential of businesses, organisations and individuals to create the confidence of consumer.

 

He added that individuals and businesses need to update and apply new highly-applicable security solutions and technologies to meet diverse requirements for information security in the current risk landscape.