Lã Mạnh Cường, Vice President of Research and Development and General Manager of OPSWAT Vietnam shared at the 6th Vietnam Security Summit 2024. — VNS Photo
Việt Nam is facing three main challenges in protecting critical infrastructure including complexity of critical network systems, increasing cyber attacks and shortage of high-level expertise, according to Lã Mạnh Cường, Vice President of Research and Development and General Manager of OPSWAT Vietnam - a pioneering enterprise in critical infrastructure protection.
Cường shared insights on implementing advanced security technologies to safeguard information systems and critical infrastructure at the 6th Vietnam Security Summit 2024 held in Hà Nội on Thursday.
Amid the increasing frequency of cyber attacks, espionage, and cyberterrorism targeting critical information systems of nations, ensuring cybersecurity has become a top priority. Especially for Việt Nam, a country undergoing rapid digital transformation, protecting critical networks and systems is of utmost importance.
Cường said the rapid development of the internet and new technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing create numerous new security vulnerabilities. Additionally, the convergence of IT and OT networks requires comprehensive and flexible security strategies. Many organisations and businesses still use outdated security technologies and processes that are inadequate against current threats.
“Cyber attacks are becoming more complex and frequent, including denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. These attacks continuously target government agencies, financial institutions, businesses, and national critical infrastructure, causing significant economic and security damages, as seen in recent cyber attacks on financial, securities, and oil and gas enterprises in Việt Nam,” he added.
Việt Nam also faces a shortage of highly skilled cybersecurity professionals. The current number of security experts is insufficient to meet the urgent demand, reducing the ability to quickly prevent and respond to cyber attacks.
To address these challenges, OPSWAT introduced MetaDefender - a comprehensive security platform for IT and OT networks, featuring advanced security technologies based on the zero-trust philosophy, designed to combat sophisticated attacks. Additionally, OPSWAT provides services and training programmes through OPSWAT Academy to address the shortage of cybersecurity engineers.
He recommends that organisations and businesses implement five security technologies concurrently to maximise cybersecurity defenses including multi-scanning, deep content disarm and reconstruction, proactive data loss prevention, adaptive sandbox and file-based vulnerability assessment. — VNS