1. Subject, objective, and method of the enemy’s cyber warfare.
The subject capable to launch a cyber attack on our country is the foreign hostile forces who have plots and acts to cause uprisings, riots, and violations of our sovereignty. Of which the direct involved actor is the specialized forces of a country or a group of countries (an alliance) carrying out cyber attacks in phases of an invasion or a dispute over territory in seas and land.
Regarding the objective, cyber warfare aims to disturb, interrupt, and decrease control capability, then take control over, steal, or destroy data saved in computers and computer network; also destroy our computers and computer network as well as protect theirs.
Regarding used method, the enemy could use specialized cyber forces, individuals or hackers teams with computer systems, organized into a united and integrated force performing its defensive or offensive attacks in cyberspace. Cyber offensive capabilities are intruding, controlling, raiding, sabotaging networks, then stealing data. In detail, they would combine “soft” attacks (through viruses, block and seize programs (Sniffer), Hackers) with “hard” sabotage (“disturb” or destroy microchips). In cyber defence, hackers would detect and prevent outside attacks and intrusion on their computer network to protect their information, data base, software, devices and facilities; resuming activities of their network when being attacked, designing and supervising safety and warning on the network.
2. Issues on our cyber operations
On the basis of anticipating the right adversary and method of cyber operation, it is necessary to clearly identify our objective and method of cyber operation. Regarding the objective of operations, it is to firmly protect information system, sources of information, and ensuring stability of the system; accordingly, protecting the country’s political, spiritual, economic, financial, defence, and security potential and power. When possible, it is useful to destroy a part of the enemy’s system, interrupting their gathering and processing of information as well as their command and control; causing difficulties for the enemy’s economic, financial and military activities. To fulfil this objective, we should exploit specialized cyber operation forces of interagencies with a close combination of cyber offensive and defensive activities (defending; countering the enemy’s attacks). In the current context of our military equipment and technology, defence is the central role, but we should not discount offensive.
When possible, we combine forces and means to carry out campaigns and phases of cyber operations; launching counter-attacks aiming at dangerous and essential targets of the adversary; intruding into the enemy’s network to destroy, block or gather information; combining “soft” attack with “hard” sabotage. In cyber defence, we should use measures to detect and prevent the enemy’s intrusion into our computer network, protecting information, data base, software, equipment and facilities; resuming the network when attacked by the enemy; conduct safety measures, warning, and other network protection measures, protecting our information.
To enhance the effectiveness of cyber operation and firmly protect the Homeland in any situation, it is necessary to attach great importance to raising awareness of the risks and aftermaths of a cyber war; clearly identifying responsibility, building up a sense of vigilance, keeping secret, and maintaining discipline when using computers and media for people, armed forces and political system; being ready to respond to a cyber war. It is necessary to study and clarify methods, tricks, and characteristics of cyber warfare; perfecting theory on cyber operations to quickly apply in schools education inside and outside the Army; enhancing combat capability of cyber specialized and semi-specialized forces in ministries, sectors, and political and social organizations.
Colonel Nguyen Dong Thuy