The event was attended by Deputy Director of MERA’s Center for Digital TransformationNguyễn Hoàng Hải; Head of the Information Security Department at the Military Technical AcademyCao Văn Lợi, and Director of CSP Technology and Solutions Joint Stock Company Nguyễn Văn Điều.

Nguyễn Hoàng Hải, Deputy Director of MERA’s Center for Digital Transformation, speaks at the exercise

During the event, the organizing committee announced decisions concerning the composition of the judging panel, the attack and defense teams, as well as the rules governing the exercise.

The exercise identified several security vulnerabilities in MERA’s database on 53 ethnic minority groups. Meanwhile, personnel responsible for managing and operating the database, together with the Center’s Digital Infrastructure and Platforms Division, effectively implemented incident response procedures, including monitoring, detection and investigation, using the available tools and systems.

Đỗ Việt Thắng, Head of the Digital Infrastructure and Platforms Division under the Center for Digital Transformation, speaks at the exercise

During the event, the organizing committee collected and consolidated reports submitted by the attack and defense teams before scoring and evaluating their performance. The committee also reported the identified vulnerabilities to the information system owner for remediation and patching, while putting forward recommendations to the incident response team on urgent, short-term and long-term measures to address security vulnerabilities in the system.

Speaking at the event, Nguyễn Hoàng Hải, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Transformation, explained the rationale for selecting the database on 53 ethnic minority groups as the exercise target, emphasizing the shift from scripted cybersecurity drills to unscripted live-fire exercises.

He called on personnel to thoroughly assess and address security vulnerabilities both during and after the exercise, promptly apply security patches, and avoid uncoordinated individual responses that could result in missing the critical window for incident response and allow damage to spread.

The Deputy Director also called on system administrators to explore the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity defense. He proposed temporary secondments to specialized information security units, during which personnel would be relieved of their regular duties to focus on developing practical expertise.

In addition, he stressed that information technology projects must undergo penetration testing (pentesting) by reputable, state-licensed specialized organizations as part of the project acceptance process.

An attack-team member presents security vulnerabilities identified in the database system

A defense-team member outlines incident response measures to address the identified security vulnerabilities

Cao Văn Lợi, Head of the Information Security Department at the Military Technical Academy and a member of the judging panel, speaks at the exercise

The exercise not only enhanced the incident response capabilities of the participating units but also improved coordination among the parties involved in responding to cybersecurity incidents.

It also provided database system administrators with valuable practical experience in implementing incident response procedures and operating the available security systems, particularly in blocking and isolating cyberattacks, thereby strengthening their defensive capabilities against future threats.