Cipher work is one of the pivotal and confidential aspects of national security, ensuring the confidentiality and safety of information related to the leadership, command and direction of the Party, State and Army. In response to the requirements and tasks of building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation, it requires Party committees, commanders at all levels and the Army's Cipher Sector to thoroughly grasp the position, role and tasks of cipher work, and synchronously implement solutions to further improve the quality of this vital work.

Immediately after the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born, in response to the urgent need to ensure the secrecy and security of leadership, command, and direction information of the Party Central Committee, the Government, the General Command with the war zones, localities, and units, on 12 September 1945, the Military Cryptography Department (the predecessor of today's Army Cipher) was established.

After 80 years of building, fighting, and growing, the Army Cipher Department has comprehensively developed in both force organisation and cryptography techniques, and successfully completed all assigned tasks. Generations of officers, employees and soldiers of the Army's Cipher Department have upheld the spirit of self-reliance, self-strengthening, overcoming all difficulties, challenges, hardships and sacrifices, decoding tens of millions of telegrams, meeting the requirements of information security for leadership, command and direction of the Party, State and Army in the two resistance wars against colonialism and imperialism, performing international missions in Laos and Cambodia as well as in the cause of building and safeguarding the Fatherland, contributing significantly to the glorious victory of the nation, embellishing the tradition of "Loyalty - Dedication - Solidarity - Discipline - Creativity" of the heroic Cipher Department of the Vietnam People's Army.

General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff, presents the Fatherland Defence Order Second class to the Cipher Department

Entering the period of national renovation and development, the Cipher Department has actively and proactively researched and advised the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence and the General Staff to effectively perform the function of state management of cipher work in the Army; Propose policies and solutions to build a comprehensive, solid and highly combat-strength Army Cipher Industry. The focus is on perfecting the system of legal documents on cipher; building organisations, forces and cryptographic technical systems suitable for the Army's command system; promoting research and development of modern cryptographic techniques, closely combining with traditional techniques, forming an automatic, synchronous communication network, ensuring confidentiality, accuracy and timeliness of information content of leaders, commands and directions at all levels; effectively preventing plots and tricks of information collection and code-breaking by hostile forces, meeting the requirements of military and national defence tasks.

Thanks to its achievements, the Cipher Department and 06 collectives and 01 individual of the Army Cipher Department have been honoured by the Party and State with the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces, Hero of the Renewal Period and several other noble awards.

In the coming time, the world and regional situation will continue to evolve rapidly, complicatedly, and unpredictably. The task of safeguarding the Fatherland and building a modern army continues to pose new and higher requirements. The Fourth Industrial Revolution with breakthroughs in the fields of artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology, and quantum technology is promoting the development of increasingly diverse and modern military information systems. Command, direction, management, and operation of the entire army take place at great intensity, requiring high levels of confidentiality, accuracy, and timeliness of information. Along with that, the risk of insecurity and information leakage is unpredictable; information and cyber warfare take place on an increasing scale and intensity, etc. These issues have created opportunities and advantages, but also posed numerous difficulties and challenges for the Cipher sector. The above reality requires drastic and synchronous implementation of solutions to further improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management and the quality of cipher work in the Army to meet the requirements in the new period. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp and well implement the following essential tasks and solutions:

First, strengthen the leadership and direction of Party committees and commanders at all levels for cipher work. This is principled content, ensuring that the Army Cipher sector develops in the right direction, operates closely for high efficiency. Accordingly, Party committees and commanders at all levels continue to thoroughly grasp the Party's military and defence guidelines, resolutions and directives on cipher work; focusing on Resolution No. 56-NQ/TW, dated 5 March 2020 of the Politburo on the development strategy of Vietnam's Cipher sector to 2030 and orientation to 2045; Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated 22 December 2024 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation; Resolution 3488/NQ-QUTW, dated 29 January 2025 of the Central Military Commission on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in the Army; Conclusion No. 90-KL/QUTW, dated 5 February 2016 of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission on continuing to build up and develop the Army's Cipher sector to meet the requirements of building and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new period. On that basis, actively promote propaganda and education to raise awareness and responsibility of cadres and employees about the position, role and importance of cipher work, information security and confidentiality, especially in the period when the Ministry of National Defence is promoting digital transformation, building e-government, and administrative reform throughout the army.

The Cipher Department continues to advise the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, the Chief of the General Staff, and the Government Cipher Committee on policies and solutions to improve the quality and effectiveness of the Army's cipher work. At the same time, direct the acceleration of the completion and implementation of projects and programmes under the Project on Modernisation of the Army Cipher sector; Information Security and Security Programme for high-tech weapon systems. Party committees and organisations at all levels study and concretise policies and solutions that are close to the practical tasks of their agencies and units; strengthen discipline management, protect internal politics, proactively prevent and effectively prevent the plots of infiltration, implantation, and connection of hostile forces to steal military secrets and cryptographic techniques.

Sr. Lt. Gen Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defence, visits equipment exhibition of the cipher sector

Second, step up the improvement of cipher organisations at all levels, to build the entire army's cipher forces to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation. Thoroughly grasping the resolutions, directives and instructions on building an elite, compact and strong Army, the Cipher Department has directed the implementation of Directive No. 21/CT-TM, dated 1 December 2017 of the Chief of the General Staff on building the cipher force in the new period; focusing on proposing the improvement of the entire army's cipher organisation and staffing system to ensure leanness, compactness, strength and synchronisation at the strategic, operational and tactical levels, in accordance with the command organisation of the Army, focusing on the grassroots level, merged and reorganised units, strategic and key areas. Party committees, commanders and cipher agencies at all levels continue to do a good job in selecting, training, managing and using cadres and employees, especially highly qualified cipher scientific research cadres. Direct the training institutions of the Sector to actively innovate the content and programmes to improve the quality of training and foster human resources; build a team of cipher officers and employees with good political qualities, ethics, and professional expertise; at the same time, research and propose policies and mechanisms to attract and reward highly qualified officers.

Third, actively mobilise resources to invest in infrastructure, build and develop a unified and synchronous cipher technical system; promote research and application of science and technology, develop specialised and modern cryptographic products. The Cipher sector, especially research institutions, must grasp the development trends of science and technology, cryptography, information technology, telecommunications, and automation control; accurately forecast the need for security of military information systems, weapons, and high-tech equipment; strategies and plans of relevant sectors, thereby advising and proposing to the Ministry of National Defence, the General Staff, and the Government Cipher Committee on security solutions; researching, designing, and manufacturing specialised, modern cryptographic products to meet security requirements for information systems, information technology, and military weapons and equipment. During the implementation process, attach importance to combining traditional cryptographic techniques with modern, automated techniques.

Coordinate with functional agencies and units to research solutions to prevent and combat risks and challenges of cyber warfare, information warfare, electronic warfare, and effectively prevent and combat enemy cryptanalysis and reconnaissance activities; increase investment in synchronous and modern technical facilities for the cryptographic machine system, decoding centre, training, and cryptographic technical assurance. Build a centralised cryptographic technical equipment management and supervision system, methods of organising management, operation, and technical assurance for the cryptographic machine system on the line. Strengthen international cooperation in scientific research, technology transfer, training on security and information security to be proactive in researching security solutions, designing and manufacturing cryptographic products to meet requirements.

Fourth, maintain and strengthen the development of the digital authentication system to meet the requirements of building a digital government, digital transformation and administrative reform in the Ministry of National Defence. This is a task that the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence pay special attention to. Leadership, direction, command and operation in the Army and the trends and methods of modern warfare require accelerating the transition to a digital environment, in which the issues of authentication security and information integrity are extremely important. In the coming time, the Army Cipher sector will continue to closely coordinate with competent agencies to research and develop a digital authentication system in the Ministry of National Defence, meeting the requirements of building a digital government, digital transformation and administrative reform in the Ministry of National Defence.

Modernising the Army's Cipher sector is an inevitable, objective requirement and the responsibility of agencies and units. Party committees, commanders and cipher agencies at all levels must continue to implement it resolutely and synchronously throughout the army. The cadres and employees of the Cipher sector must uphold their responsibilities, strictly abide by discipline, ensure confidentiality, accuracy and timeliness of information from leaders, commands and directions at all levels in all situations, meeting the requirements and tasks of building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new period.

Major General, Dr. HOANG VAN QUAN, Head of the Cipher Department