Digital Society Management and Decree 53, which guide the implementation of a number of Cybersecurity Law articles

Decree 53/2022/ND-CP guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Cybersecurity will take effect on October 1. With the technology development, especially the connection technology infrastructure in the globalized world, these are the necessary regulations that VSEC experts will share the following from the perspective of the supplier: provide network security services.

Interview with Mr. Truong Duc Luong – Chairman of VSEC

Question: We have recently received contact from a number of foreign newspapers  and members of the community who are keenly interested in Article 26 regarding regulations for foreign enterprises providing cross-border services. As a network security expert, could you provide your perspective on this matter?

Mr. Truong Duc Luong: Within the framework of the law, I think it is necessary to have regulations like this. With the development of technology, especially technology infrastructure, it has made connecting easier than ever. Technological applications have also created a parallel society to the real society in which we live every day. We can call it a digital society. Digital society has many common features of real society and also has many unique features. The most basic feature is borderless, identity. Digital society, besides the positives, also comes with many negatives like the real society, and the development of the digital society also needs to be accompanied by management measures to help the population to be less affected by negative impacts such as intimidation, fraud, fake information, etc. 

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Many technological tools, like the Internet and social media platforms, etc., originate from the West and bring with them Western philosophies and cultures. Digital society can therefore be said to be built mostly from the West. And in the development process, the conflict between the real society and the digital society is understandable when the borderless nature is different from the borderless nature of the real society. These contrasts are evident in areas like perceptions of freedom, business practices, and tax views. 

Mr. Truong Duc Luong – Chairman of VSEC. 

This brings us to the content of Article 26 of the Decree, which defines the types of enterprises/businesses that will be governed by the law. These are companies in the fields of communication (social networks), finance (payment gateways), and commerce (markets, electronic floors). Managing real society and digital society, in my opinion, real society must be prioritized because incidents in digital society can cause significant damage in real society. Numerous examples in the media have demonstrated this. A digital society can emerge from anywhere in the world due to its borderless nature. Therefore, the management of the digital society will be difficult to achieve effectively without a real way of linking between the manager and the unit that creates the digital society. 

Currently, article 26 is carrying out methods including: Storing identity data in Vietnam and Setting up offices/branches in Vietnam. In the future, there may be other methods. However, for now, I think these two tools are enough to start. In my opinion, there are some following reasons. Firstly, electronic transactions and the inherent nature of identity technology are often weak. As a result, detailed requirements for the information to be stored will make it feasible to enforce management when issue occur. Secondly, the law was introduced in 2018, and now after 4 years, businesses in Vietnam have had a certain growth to meet the technical requirements of modern storage. Thirdly, legitimacy is important in management. Additionally, when there are people who have the authorities to work and be present in Vietnam, it has created more efficiency in coordination, management information or handling issues. Therefore, having offices or branches of “virtual society” companies in Vietnam has had great effects on managers. 

The proposed law will often take time to put into practice and adjust accordingly. I hope the law will be a good tool for the virtual society to become healthier and more positive, bringing good value to the real society

Thank you Mr. Truong Duc Luong,

Learn more about Decree 53/2022/ND-CP here

Source: VSEC