A workshop with the theme “Cyber Immunity for Security in IoT” was held in Hanoi on September 12 by the Authority of Information Security (AIS) at the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) and the global cybersecurity company Kaspersky, the Vietnam News Agency has reported.

Part of long-term cooperation activities between the two sides, the workshop is a venue for technical exchange and thought leadership.

According to a report from the Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team (VNCERT), a substantial uptick in cyber incidents targeting IoT devices has been identified over recent years. Meanwhile, from the beginning of last year, the AIS has forecasted that attacks on IoT devices will be one of four main trends in cyberattacks in the country.

As the number of IoT devices grows exponentially, the installation of protective tools that need regular updates becomes time-consuming and resource-intensive.

The problem is compounded by many of these devices not having the processing capacity for cybersecurity add-on tools such as antivirus software.

This is especially pertinent in Vietnam, with its rapidly-evolving interconnected landscape.

The burgeoning reliance on IoT coupled with these vulnerabilities underscores the need for Cyber Immunity - a Kaspersky trademark approach that embodies a secure-by-design approach that helps tackle cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the very early stages of software development.

To operationalize the vision of Cyber Immunity, Kaspersky developed its own operating system - KasperskyOS.

“IoT devices bring about a complex cybersecurity environment consisting of a large number of disparate digital elements, which introduces more points of vulnerability that cybercriminals can potentially attack,” said Ms. Genie Gan, Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy for Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle-East, Turkey, and Africa at Kaspersky. “We believe Cyber Immunity offers a new paradigm for how IT systems should be designed. Vietnam, with its technology-savvy population, and high IoT adoption rate, offers the perfect setting for Cyber Immune solutions to be introduced.”

“We are glad that Kaspersky has continued its longstanding cooperation with the Vietnamese Government and has offered actionable solutions to address real challenges brought about by the proliferation of IoT devices,” said AIS Deputy Director General Tran Dang Khoa.

The workshop provided critical insights to attendees from both the government and the private sector, who were inspired to rethink the foundations for the next generation of IoT security solutions, he added.

It was attended by about 200 representatives from Vietnamese Government agencies at the central and provincial levels, academic and research institutes, and associations and businesses.

Attendees were equipped with insights into IoT, its associated threats, solutions centered around Cyber Immunity, and interactive sessions with government and industry leaders.