The 2020 ASEAN - Japan drill on trans-national cyber security took place online and offline on June 25 with the participation of the ten ASEAN member countries and Japan.

Co-hosted by the Vietnam Cybersecurity Emergency Response Teams/Coordination Center (VNCERT/CC) and the Ministry of Information and Communications, the annual drill aimed to ensure seamless interaction in the sharing of information among regional countries on cyber security incidents.

More than 200 information technology (IT) experts from Vietnam's ministries, agencies localities gathered in Hanoi, Da Nang, and HCM City to join the event.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung said more people are switching to working online due to COVID-19, which makes it more important to ensure cyber security.

Over the past year the number of cyber attacks in Vietnam has tended downwards. In the first five months of this year the figure was 1,495, down 43.9% year-on-year.

However, the risk of external cyber attacks in Vietnam and the world will increase, he said.

IT experts shared their opinions on inspecting information security and building basic standards for the task.

A representative from the ministry’s Authority of Information Security said the drill looked to improve professional capacity and develop a network of national cyber security incident responses. Apart from drills, the network also plans to offer training courses, conduct scientific research, and cooperate internationally in the prevention and control of cyber attacks.