Ensuring cyber and information security is an urgent task as the cyber environment is increasingly exploited for such bad activities as swindling or inciting sabotage schemes against the Party and the State, said Deputy Prime Truong Hoa Binh.

Addressing a teleconference of the Government’s Anti-Crime Steering Committee in Hanoi on August 9, the official cited the recent hack on the information systems and websites of several Vietnamese airlines.

He requested competent agencies to intensify their coordination and rally resources, and groups and businesses specialising in information-technology (IT) to the fight against high-tech crimes.

In the same vein, attention should be paid to training cyber workers to help agencies, organisations and enterprises protect their information systems, he said.

A report presented at the meeting shows that the number of cases relating to high-tech crimes in the first half of this year increased by 21.6 percent against the same period last year.

Criminals used Internet and social networks to swindle and appropriate assets, the report said, providing the discovery of the posting of images and writings aiming to undermine the country’s political system and ignite public disorder.

Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen. To Lam said a lack of united regulations on cyber security and safety, and weak IT capacity of agencies, enterprises and organisations are challenging the combat against cyber crimes.

He suggested the Ministry of Information and Technology and competent agencies to place more importance on IT management, and equip the staff of the agencies, enterprises and organisations with knowledge about cyber security and safety.

The officer also underlined the need to keep a closer watch on online business activities, particularly gambling.

The teleconference heard that 147 cases of human trafficking were detected in the January-June period, down by 13 percent over the same period last year.

Human traffickers have taken advantage of the country’s openness policy and integration and set up rings to bring people abroad for prostitutions, illegal marriages and forced labour.

VNA