Brian Jeffrey
Vietnam’s Cybersecurity Progress in 2024 GCI Rankings
In mid-September, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), showcasing Vietnam as one of the top nations. It secured a spot among 46 countries with a score above 95, joining the ranks of developed nations like the US, UK, France, Germany, and Italy.
The ITU acknowledged the determination and efforts of these countries in enhancing their cybersecurity frameworks.
With an impressive score of 99.74 out of 100, Vietnam ranks 17th globally, tied with Spain. Notably, 13 countries achieved a perfect score of 100, while the US, Portugal, and Singapore each scored 99.86.
Vietnam performed exceptionally well in the 2024 GCI, achieving full marks in the legal framework and cooperation categories, along with technical and organizational aspects. It garnered a score of 19.74 for capacity enhancement.
In the Asia Pacific region, Vietnam stands fourth out of 11 countries in the 2024 GCI and third among ASEAN nations, following Indonesia and Singapore.
This achievement marks an upward movement for Vietnam, climbing eight spots on the global index and one position within ASEAN.
According to Ngo Tuan Anh, deputy chair of the Vietnam Information Security Association (VNISA), this ranking reflects Vietnam’s commitment to safeguarding information security and addressing cybersecurity challenges.
“Our long-term efforts are paying off, indicated by significant investments in cybersecurity,” Anh stated.
Vu The Binh, deputy chair and secretary general of the Vietnam Internet Network Association, emphasized that Vietnam’s recognition among leading countries demonstrates global acknowledgment of its cybersecurity commitments. He noted that cybersecurity has become an increasingly critical concern for government bodies, businesses, and the general public over the past few years.
Recent years have seen enhancements in laws and regulations governing cybersecurity alongside increased organizational activities. These developments illustrate a marked improvement in Vietnam’s approach compared to the 2020 GCI.
Truong Duc Luong, an expert with over 20 years in information security and president of VSEC, highlighted that Vietnam’s near-perfect score signifies its dedication, especially when compared to nations with higher GDP per capita that ranked lower in the GCI.
Luong pointed to various actions by the Vietnamese government, such as the Politburo’s Resolution 30 on national cybersecurity strategy (2018) and two crucial laws related to network security (2015) and cybersecurity (2018), which outline management protocols and collaboration in cybersecurity.
Additional regulations focus on securing information systems and defining national critical infrastructure while protecting personal information, which contributes to the strong legal framework recognized in the 2024 GCI.
Vietnam has also established technical standards and coordination units like VNCERT (now VNCERT/CC – Vietnam Cybersecurity Emergency Response Teams/Coordination Center) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), tasked with overseeing cyberspace security.
Furthermore, monitoring centers for national key infrastructure are operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence.
However, Luong cautioned that organizations are encountering challenges, such as rising costs for legal compliance, training, and technology implementation.
In light of these challenges, Anh from VNISA suggested the implementation of new regulations to enforce cybersecurity standards not just for national infrastructure and digital platforms but also for internet services available to the public.
