Presenting a 2021 review and 2022 forecast of the cybersecurity landscape in Vietnam, Director of the Institute of Information Security Technology under VNISA and Vice President of BKAV Ngo Tuan Anh revealed that Vietnam recorded about 70.7 million computer virus infections in 2021.
He considered this a red alert for the state of cybersecurity in Vietnam, adding that the damage Vietnamese computer users suffered due to viruses continued to be very high, reaching 24,400 billion Vietnamese dong (around 1.06 billion USD) last year.
“The use of computers and smart devices in Vietnam has increased dramatically due to COVID-19, creating an ideal environment for computer viruses to break out and spread rapidly,” he said.
He also pointed out that supply chain attacks have become a global trend.
“Most of the attacks last year were on large scale and targeted globally-known organisations and businesses,” Mr Tuan Anh said.
Sharing experience from Australia, RMIT Senior Lecturer Dr Pham Cong Hiep drew on findings from the “2021 State of Cyber Fitness in Australian Small Businesses” white paper, of which RMIT University was a co-author.
The study shows that the cybersecurity readiness of Australian SMEs is not very high despite their rapid digitisation during the pandemic.
In detail, only 26% of businesses felt they had done enough to keep their business safe from cybersecurity incidents, while 33% felt that they hadn’t. Notably, 77% of respondents felt directly responsible for cyber risks.
“An understanding of the factors affecting cybersecurity readiness is crucial to devise appropriate solutions for businesses to improve the current low level of cyber fitness among most SMEs,” Dr Hiep said.
Therefore, the upcoming nationwide survey conducted by RMIT University, VNISA and VINASME will look at issues such as cyber risks, technology adaptation, cybersecurity awareness, skills to prevent and confront cyber threats, and fundings for cybersecurity activities.
The survey is expected to contribute towards building better cybersecurity infrastructure, capabilities, and culture in the SME community.