Security World 2014 attracts chief security officers, chief information officers and information technology professtionals from governmental agencies, enterprises and organisations to share information security initiatives. - Photo courtesy of Security World

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Chief security officers, chief information officers, and information technology professionals are attending the Security World 2014 Conference & Exhibition in Ha Noi to discuss and share information security initiatives.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on March 18, Nguyen Tat Loi, the director of IT Department from the General Department of Technology & Logistics under the Ministry of Public Security, stated that the annual event will offer updates to governmental agencies, businesses, and organizations on the latest technology trends and practical solutions.

According to the Trend Micro report, during the second and third quarter of last year, Viet Nam was in the top online banking victim countries. Security risks loom large over mobile device users, as the number of malicious and high-risk apps targeting the Android platform reached the one-million mark in September 2013. Viet Nam ranked third in the list of top countries impacted by malicious Android app volumes.

A recent report by IDC in January 2014 forecast that information technology spending in the Vietnamese market will see a growth rate of 15.5 per cent, and the total market revenue is expected to reach US$13.05 billion in 2014.

Anthony Lim, a member of the Application Security Advisory Board for ISC, the largest non-profit membership body of certified information and software security professionals worldwide, remarked that the internet is useful and entertaining, but it was also a dangerous place with no laws.

He emphasised that free public Wifi could pose a danger to the users and suggested employees not to casually click on links and stay abreast with the latest changes in the social media.

"Please make sure that no one uses 1234 or abcd as passwords. When you log onto any site, please check if it is a valid one," Lim pointed out.

Currently, people access data from different devices, such as computers and smartphones. Lim added that enterprises should build a security culture by ensuring that the staff members do not create multiple copies of confidential documents.

He stressed that computer security was not only about technology, but also encompassed human and policy components.

Concurring with Lim's idea, Ngo Viet Khoi, the country manager of Trend Micro Vietnam & Cambodia cited the example of users clicking on a link showing the position of the missing Malaysian Airlines MH370.

"When the users click on share, they will download malware. It is about social engineering, like Lim referred before," Khoi stated.

According to Khoi, hackers now focus on carrying out advanced persistent attacks that intend to penetrate targeted firms and organizations using several methods, such as emails with malicious program attachments or exploiting vulnerable users in order to steal information or hijack computers communicating with external parties.

"Many firms feel safe with anti-virus software installed on their devices, but they are wrong. In the past, everyone used Windows Explorer to surf websites and compose documents on Microsoft Office. However, currently, there are several choices and risk management cannot be fully achieved," he asserted.

Security World has been held in Viet Nam for the past eight consecutive years since 2007. The event is co-organised by the General Department of Logistics & Technology under the Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team under the Ministry of Information and Communications, and International Data Group (IDG) under the endorsement of Ministry of Public Security. — VNS