A new report by IntSights identifies Vietnam as a rising cyber threat due to increased activity of state-backed hacking groups like APT32 (OceanLotus) and APT-C-01 (Poison Ivy), as well as a growing cybercrime scene. Earlier this year, Vietnam introduced new cybersecurity legislation that intends to increase the government’s digital censorship efforts. In search of more online freedom, many Vietnamese youngsters have begun using the dark web, where they are exposed to underground hacking forums and market places. As a result, users may be tempted to start engaging in cybercriminal activity themselves.
Given these developments, Charity Wright of IntSights believes that “while Vietnam may not have the resources to combat world superpowers – like China or the U.S. – in traditional warfare or economic stature, cyber is leveling the playing field,” and the country “has the potential to develop into a cybercriminal outpost, as its government continues to censor the public and push its youthful middle class toward the fringes with its strict internet legislation.”
Read more: Vietnam Cyber Threat: Government-Linked Hackers Ramping Up Attacks
