VietNamNet Bridge - Though Vietnamese users’ awareness about information security has improved, they remain vulnerable when using Facebook, according to BKAV Corporation’s vice president Ngo Tuan Anh.


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On March 17, 2018, the New York Times and the Guardian showed evidence to prove that Facebook allowed an analytics firm – Cambridge Analytica – to use personal data of 50 million Facebook users.

Facebook’s representative in Vietnam said this news had dampened people's confidence in Facebook in protecting the data they share.

Anh said the data was believed to be exploited in the US presidential election. 

There have been no official announcements and notices about the disclosure of Facebook account passwords. 

Thus, Vietnamese users now can feel secure about their accounts, because affected sphere is most largely in the US.

However, Anh believes that now is the time to ring the alarm over using Facebook without protection.

Currently in Vietnam many apps are shared on Facebook in multiple-choice form, attracting a high number of users who click just for fun. 

The users now are worried if their clicks on entertainment apps will lead to personal information exposure.

76 percent of IP cameras in Vietnam still use default accounts and passwords set by manufacturers, while 55 percent of users use one password for different accounts.

In general these apps ask users to log in with Facebook accounts and allow access to personal information – name, age, sex, friends and other kinds of information.

“This means that users share their information with apps. The purpose of the developers of the apps is to collect personal information on Facebook and use the information for their plans, especially advertisements. In some cases, the personal information about addresses and phone numbers can be exploited for evils, such as phishing,” Anh said. 

Anh emphasized the need to set up strict regulations to manage and use personal information on social networks to ensure safety for users.

Meanwhile, according to the Information Security Bureau, the low awareness about information security remains a weakness of both Vietnamese organizations and individuals. 

A report on cybersecurity in Vietnam in 2017 showed that 76 percent of IP cameras in Vietnam still use default accounts and passwords set by manufacturers, while 55 percent of users use one password for different accounts.

A survey by BKAV in late 2017 showed that 63 percent of internet users regularly read fake news on social networks, 40 percent of whom are daily victims.

In related news, BKAV has released a report showing that more than 35,000 smartphones in Vietnam have been affected by the GhostTeam virus.


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