Vietnam recorded 1,271 cyber-attacks in the first three months of 2021, a decrease of 20% from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

They included 623 malicious code installations (malware), 449 phishing activities, and 199 interface changes (deface).

Statistics show that the number of attacks diminished and mainly in the form of malware. This index shows that cyber security and safety in Vietnam have been improved thanks to campaigns on malware removal and training courses on cyber-attack combat launched in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

However, in March alone, the number of IP addresses in Vietnam of computers infected with malicious viruses (botnet) was 1,021,545, an increase of 11.34% from February.

Experts from the MIC’s Authority of Information Security said that the number of cyber attacks and the number of Vietnamese IP addresses in botnets increased slightly in March because cybercriminal organizations and individuals are still taking advantage of Internet users and their interest in information about the Covid-19 pandemic.

The number of phishing and malware attacks on systems has increased, perpetrated by groups of hackers to deceive, sabotage and steal information, the experts said.

Cyber-attacks in Vietnam drop 20% in first quarter of 2021. File photo

Last year, Vietnam also saw significant improvements in its cybersecurity landscape thanks to a coordinated campaign by the government and private partners, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a report, Kaspersky Security Network (KSN), a global cybersecurity firm, said 39.1% of Vietnamese online users were attacked last year as the country fell two places in the list of the most attacked countries and territories to 19th place.

KSN also detected 268.51 million local threats in Vietnam, or infections where users are attacked by malware spread offline through removable storage devices such as USB drives, CDs and DVDs, last year, down 27.8%.

Some 64.6% of Vietnamese users are affected by offline threats, the eighth highest in the world, KSN said, adding that Malaysia had the highest number of web threats in Southeast Asia with 48.75 million and Singapore had the lowest number of offline incidents in the ASEAN with 4.41 million.

“Enterprises and organizations in Vietnam should pay more attention to the importance of threat intelligence for all industries, which can help further boost their defenses against sophisticated cyber attacks,” said the experts.

Nguyen Khac Lich, deputy director of the MIC said that cybersecurity is a national priority.

“Ensuring cybersecurity is considered a key factor for successful digital transformation and sustainability, and an important part that cannot be separated from the digital transformation process,” he added.