Hanoi Convention: A turning point with positive imprints for Vietnam

On the occasion of Vietnam hosting the signing ceremony of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime ( Hanoi Convention) on October 25-26, VNA correspondent in New Delhi interviewed Mr. Sudhanshu Mittal - Director of Technical Solutions of the National Association of Software and Services Companies of India (Nasscom) about India's successes in the field of cyber security and the increasingly important role of Vietnam in efforts to promote regional and global cooperation on this issue.

Mr Mittal said cybercrime had now evolved beyond the realm of financially motivated individuals. The booming digital economy had created a fertile environment for such crimes.

According to Mr. Mittal, some of the emerging threats today include financial fraud targeting instant payment systems, social engineering scams such as digital arrest (impersonating law enforcement officials to threaten and extort money), cross-border ransomware attacks, attacks on critical infrastructure, infiltration of corporate supply chains, as well as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create disinformation and “deepfakes” to influence elections and public perception.

Regarding economic and social impacts, Mr. Mittal said that cybercrime causes direct financial losses, disrupts production and business activities, damages business reputation and increases legal and security costs.

From a social perspective, cyber attacks undermine people's trust in the digital environment, especially among the elderly and vulnerable groups; and cause psychological impacts, even panic, when critical infrastructure such as energy, healthcare or telecommunications are attacked.

Referring to India's experience in ensuring cyber security, Mr. Mittal emphasized that the South Asian country has built a legal framework and a close coordination mechanism between state agencies and the private sector.

He pointed out some of the prominent initiatives including the Information Technology Act 2000, setting up of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), National Critical Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), and the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023.

In addition, Mr. Mittal also emphasized the role of public-private partnership, in which the government coordinates with Nasscom and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) to build a secure digital ecosystem and promote innovation.

Regarding the Hanoi Convention on Cybercrime, Mr. Mittal assessed that this is the first global treaty of the United Nations in nearly two decades in this field, aiming to harmonize national laws, promote cross-border investigation cooperation, share electronic evidence, and provide legal and technical support between countries.

According to him, the convention will open up great opportunities for countries like India in enhancing international cooperation, capacity building and improving the legal framework.

In particular, Mr. Mittal said that Vietnam was chosen to host the Hanoi Convention opening ceremony thanks to its active role in the drafting process of the convention, along with the application of a solid legal framework demonstrated through the 2018 Law on Cyber Security, effective enforcement capacity and a highly qualified workforce.

He cited that Vietnam is currently among the top 20 countries in the world in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, with the rate of people participating in digital space exceeding 80%.

According to him, these factors have helped Vietnam become a "bright spot" and an ideal location to host this landmark event of the United Nations./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cong-uoc-ha-noi-buoc-ngoat-mang-dau-an-tich-cuc-cua-viet-nam-post1071758.vnp