Cybersecurity professionals are the last and most crucial line of defense, ensuring the safe and seamless operation of national information systems, experts from the National Cybersecurity Association (NCA) emphasized.

While universities and businesses have made strides in cybersecurity training, many experts agree that Vietnam still lacks highly skilled professionals able to handle increasingly complex and frequent threats.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 “Cybersecurity Student” competition, Lieutenant Colonel Trieu Manh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention (A05, Ministry of Public Security), said that Vietnam faces a serious shortage of high-quality cybersecurity personnel.

This gap poses risks not only to national information infrastructure but also to critical business and organizational systems.

A 2024 survey by the NCA found that nearly 21% of organizations had no dedicated cybersecurity staff, while 35.5% had no more than five staff handling cybersecurity. The estimated shortfall nationwide stands at around 700,000 personnel.

Vu Ngoc Son, Head of Research, Technology Development and International Cooperation at NCA, told VietNamNet that cybersecurity personnel are indispensable.

“They are the final shield. No matter how advanced the technology or procedures, you still need skilled people to keep systems safe and running smoothly,” he said.

He emphasized the three pillars of any system: technology, processes, and people. Investing only in the first two is inadequate without qualified human resources.

Amid Vietnam’s aggressive push for digital transformation, cybersecurity engineers are more crucial than ever to ensure secure digital transactions for businesses and individuals.

AI alone is not enough

Son warned that hackers can now extract data and use AI to analyze it, understand internal operations, and craft tailored cyberattacks.

“It’s clear that organizations need experts who truly understand how to safeguard systems - from choosing secure storage to designing safe system architecture and maintaining 24/7 monitoring,” he added.

He clarified that the projected shortage of 700,000 does not mean Vietnam needs 700,000 people in absolute numbers. Continuous 24/7 monitoring requires at least three shifts, typically needing 8–10 personnel per organization. However, this model would be wasteful for smaller organizations.

Instead, Son proposed shared solutions, such as multiple businesses jointly contracting specialized cybersecurity service providers. Technologies like AI could also help reduce manpower needs.

Collaborative solutions and standardized training

In response to directives from the Central Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Education and Training is implementing a “three-house” cooperation model - uniting government, academia, and industry - to train cybersecurity talent and meet strategic demands.

Security experts stress that this cooperation model is crucial for building a competent and responsive cybersecurity workforce to defend Vietnam’s digital space.

NCA also recommends that Vietnam develop standardized certification systems and formal evaluation frameworks to professionalize the cybersecurity industry. These would help define quality benchmarks, encourage continuous learning, and elevate the sector’s overall competency.

PV