Cryptography work is one of the critical works of the Party, the State, and the Armed Forces; it involves confidential and specialised activities. Given the high demands of building the Military and National Defence in the new situation, it is essential that the Party committees, leadership at all levels, and the Military Cryptography branch thoroughly deeply understand the position, role, and mission of the cryptography work to implement a comprehensive set of measures to significantly improve the quality of this particularly critical task.

In performing its assigned functions and tasks, over the past years, the Military Cryptography branch has consistently taken the initiative to grasp the situation, actively providing counsel to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to effectively implement the state management of cryptography work within the Military and build an “elite, compact and strong” Cryptography Branch. In practice, the cryptography work has received increasing attention and more rigorous leadership and direction at all levels. It has seen numerous innovations to ensure secrecy, accuracy, security, and timely communication for military and national defence tasks in all situations. As a result, the quality and effectiveness of cryptographic work have been continuously enhanced, its legal and regulatory documents have been refined, and specialised knowledge has been deepened. In addition, the Branch’s organisational structures, personnel, and staff have been continuously strengthened and the cryptographic technical system has been developed in a unified, coherent, and robust manner. Also, strict adherence to regulations and discipline in cryptographic operations has been maintained, and all assigned tasks have been successfully completed. Moreover, the Branch has been actively engaged in ensuring the information security of weapon control systems, advanced technology, and the application of cryptographic techniques in cyber warfare. It has also deployed infrastructure for providing digital signatures and electronic authentication services, supporting the development of e-government and digital transformation within the Ministry of National Defence. These efforts have yielded positive results, receiving high praise from the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and various agencies and units.

Mj. Gen. Quan speaks at a training on crytography work

In addition to the achieved results, cryptography work in the Military has also revealed certain limitations and shortcomings. The organisation and staffing of cryptographic units at various levels are not yet complete, and the workforce is still understaffed. Also, the competence and capabilities of a portion of the officers and staff are still limited. In addition, the equipment and infrastructure supporting research, development, and the maintenance of cryptographic technology have not kept pace with the advancements in modern science, technology, and military information systems. Furthermore, some legal and regulatory documents in this specialised field have not comprehensively covered all the tasks related to cryptographic work, and so on.

In the coming period, the global and regional situation continues to be complex and unpredictable. The tasks of safeguarding the Motherland and building an elite, compact and strong military towards modernity pose new and highly demanding challenges. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, with breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, is driving the development of increasingly diverse and modern military information systems. The intensity of commanding, directing, managing, and overseeing the operations of the entire military is high, with stringent requirements for maintaining secrecy, accuracy, and timely communication. Meanwhile, the risks of information security breaches and leaks are highly unpredictable, especially as hostile forces enhance their use of advanced science, technology, and techniques to engage in espionage, infiltration, and theft of state secrets, military secrets, and cryptographic secrets. Information warfare, cyber warfare, and the risk of information security breaches have become more widespread, with increasing scale and intensity. In light of these realities, it is imperative to vigorously and comprehensively implement measures to further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management and the quality of cryptographic work within the Military. To achieve this goal, the leadership at all levels within the military must wholeheartedly and effectively carry out a number of key tasks and solutions, including:

First, strengthen the leadership and guidance of the party committees and commanding officers at all levels in the new circumstances; supplement and refine the legal and regulatory framework, as well as accelerate the implementation of the Plan for Military Cryptography Modernisation. This is a top-priority and fundamental solution to ensure that cryptographic work progresses in the right direction, with rigorous and effective operations. The relevant agencies and units, particularly the party committees, commanding officers and political commissars at all levels, must continue to deeply comprehend the military and national defence policies of the Party, as well as the resolutions and directives from higher authorities regarding cryptographic work. Of particular significance are Resolution No. 56-NQ/TW, dated 5^th March, 2020, of the Politburo (12^th Tenure) on “The Strategy for the Development of Vietnam’s Cryptography Branch by 2030 and the Orientation Towards 2045” and Conclusion No. 90-KL/QUTW, dated 5^th February, 2016, of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Committee on the continued development of the Military Cryptography Branch to meet the requirements of building and safeguarding the Motherland in the new era. On these bases, there is a need to enhance leadership and guidance for cryptographic work, focusing on building an elite, compact, and strong cryptographic units, in line with the command structure at all levels. The Military Cryptography Department should maintain close coordination with relevant functional agencies to provide recommendations to authorised bodies to amend, supplement and issue specialised legal documents related to cryptographic work. This includes documents regarding organisational structure, functions, and tasks of cryptographic units, personnel selection, training, management, and use of cadres and staff; mechanisms, policies to attract high-quality human resources, as well as the documentation concerning the establishment of cryptographic technical systems and the management and guidance for the use of cryptographic technical equipment and products, all to meet the demands of building the Military and the tasks of cryptographic work in the new situation.

Cryptographic detachments at all levels need to continue providing counsel their party committees and commanding officers to strengthen leadership and guidance and accelerate the implementation of projects and programmes under the “Modernisation Plan for the Military Cryptography sector” and the “"Information Security and Safety Programme for Advanced Technology Weapon Systems.” The focus should be on projects such as the specialisation of cryptographic technical equipment, the construction of strategic-level cryptographic technical security centres, management and monitoring centres for cryptographic technical systems, and digital authentication centres of the Ministry of National Defence. At the same time, there should be a concentrated investment in infrastructure to enhance the quality of training at the Cryptographic Technical College, planning programmes for the training and development of high-quality human resources, security for automated command and advanced technology weapon systems, and projects to enhance command, training, and technical security capabilities to meet the demands of the new period.

Signing emulation commitment among 4 cryptographic branches

Second, intensify the enhancement of the organisational structure and staffing in line with the military command system, build a high-quality cryptographic workforce with an appropriate structure and quantity, effectively implement the work of human resource training, education, and development. At all levels, party committees, commanding officers, and cryptographic units should continue to thoroughly grasp and implement relevant resolutions and directives, including Resolution No. 230-NQ/QUTW, dated 2^nd April, 2022, of the Central Military Commission on the organisational structure of the Vietnam People’s Army for the 2021-2030 period and subsequent years. Additionally, guidance should be followed as per Instruction No. 1216/HD-CT, dated 17^th August, 2018, from the General Department of Politics regarding the management of personnel by specialised branches, and Directive No. 21/CT-TM, dated 1^st December, 2017, from the Chief of the General Staff on building a robust cryptographic workforce in the new period. Based on this, proactive research and collaboration should be undertaken to propose plans for the restructuring of the organisational structure and staffing of cryptographic contingents at all levels in line with the military command structure, especially those within local and operational-level units, as well as units with large pool of personnel. In addition, primary focus should be placed on the effective selection, training, management, use, and development of cryptographic personnel with strong political integrity, good ethics, and excellent professional skills to ensure the consistency and depth in the quality of the workforce, capable of meeting immediate as well as long-term mission requirements. Besides, the entire military should strictly adhere to the provisions of Decision No. 1295/QyĐ-BQP, dated 5^th April, 2023, by the Ministry of National Defence regarding technical expertise standards for cryptographic personnel and firmly enforce regulations on the management and use of cryptographic personnel. Individuals who do not meet the stipulated standards should be resolutely removed from the Branch. Furthermore, there should be continued collaboration with related agencies to comprehensively implement and execute support policies for personnel, and effectively provide incentives to attract high-quality technical personnel. This should be coupled with the vigorous promotion of training, education, and strict adherence to cryptographic professional training regulations. Also, emphasis should be placed on both traditional and modern technical training, adhering to the principles of being “fundamental, practical, robust, and in-depth.”

Third, actively mobilise resources for investing in cryptographic technical infrastructure and promote research and application of science and technology and the development of a specialised and modern cryptographic technical system. This is a fundamental and crucial issue that directly enhances the quality of military cryptographic work. Therefore, the Cryptographic Branch, especially its research institutions, should have a strong grasp of the development trends in information technology, telecommunications, and automated control. They should accurately forecast the security needs of military communication systems, advanced technology weapons and equipment, as well as the strategies and plans of related branches to provide counsel to the Ministry of National Defence in shaping the development direction of cryptographic technology that closely aligns with mission requirements. Also, there should be a strong focus on researching security solutions and the development specialised and modern cryptographic products that are consistent, adaptable, and suitable for military operations. During implementation, there should be an emphasis on integrating traditional and modern cryptographic techniques, as well as automation capabilities. Furthermore, it is essential to continue enhancing and modernising existing equipment and strive for gradual self-research, production, and specialisation in cryptographic technical equipment and data storage security solutions for advanced technology weapon systems to ensure the efficient operation of such systems under high-tech warfare scenarios and harsh climate conditions. In addition, there should be proactive collaboration with relevant agencies and units to research and develop solutions to counter the risks and challenges of cyber warfare, information warfare, electronic warfare, and effective countermeasures against enemy intelligence and reconnaissance activities. To achieve a high level of effectiveness, the Military Cryptography Department should continue to provide counsel to the General Staff, proposing increased investments in synchronised, modern technical infrastructure for cryptographic facilities, decryption centres, and cryptographic training and support institutions. Besides, there is a need to build a centralised management and monitoring system for cryptographic technical equipment, as well as the development of management and operation methods, and technical assurance for cryptographic hardware systems. Furthermore, the Branch should enhance international cooperation in scientific research, technology transfer, and training on security and information safety, and actively collaborate with various agencies and units across the military to develop optimal security solutions for military communication systems. Also, it is critical to research and apply modern cryptographic technology, as well as further invest in the development of critical communication infrastructure, and secure information systems.

Fourth, accelerate the development of a digital authentication system to meet the requirements of building e-government, digital transformation, and administrative reform in the Ministry of National Defence. This is a task of special concern to the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence. In the coming time, the Military Cryptographic Department will continue to closely cooperate with relevant agencies to research, develop, and implement the digital authentication system within the Ministry of National Defence according to the established roadmap. In addition, it will actively mobilise resources to invest in technical infrastructure and equipment, improve the legal framework related to its operations, and strengthen the high-quality professional team for the digital authentication system to ensure the effectiveness of management, service usage, and the provision of digital signature authentication, security, verification, and information safety in electronic transactions throughout the Military to fully and promptly meet the need of digital certificates within the Ministry of National Defence. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain a stable operational system to provide 24/7 services, and integrate digital signatures into document management systems, operational systems of various agencies and units and promptly address any arising issues during the operation.

Enhancing the quality of military cryptographic work is an objective necessity and the responsibility of every agency, unit, and individual servicemember. This mission must be vigorously and systematically carried out, with a more cohesive approach, from the Ministry of National Defence down to all levels throughout the Military. Each agency, especially the cryptographic departments and cryptographic cadres and staff at all levels, must uphold a strong sense of responsibility, maintain a secure cryptographic technical system, strictly adhere to discipline, and regulations related to cryptographic work, and ensure the secrecy, accuracy, and timely transmission of leadership and command information at all levels in all situations. This is to meet the requirements and tasks of building the Military and safeguarding the Motherland in the new period.

Major General, Dr. HOANG VAN QUAN, Director of the Military Cryptographic Department, General Staff of the Ministry of National Defence