Vietnam's cybersecurity sector in the third quarter recorded many new threats.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - In the third quarter, Viettel Cyber ​​Security (VCS) recorded more than 1.9 million distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, 15 ransomware attacks, more than 34,000 new vulnerabilities, and hundreds of millions of data records offered for sale.

This is the picture outlined in the Q3 Vietnam Cybersecurity Risk Report published by Viettel Cyber ​​Security (VCS). The report was compiled by the Viettel Threat Intelligence team, based on cybersecurity monitoring data, the Viettel Anti-DDoS system, and information collected during the provision of services to customers.

Hackers find their way into businesses through trusted "doorways".

According to VCS, the most notable point of the third quarter was the shift in tactics. Extortion activities using malware increased continuously over three quarters: 5 cases in the first quarter, 11 cases in the second quarter, and 15 cases in the third quarter.

Attack groups like Qilin, INC, and Cl0p continue to employ a double extortion model: stealing data first, encrypting the system afterward, and then using that data to pressure victims. Finance and banking, agriculture and food production, and education are the sectors with the most reported incidents.

Not only has the number of incidents increased, but the scale of data breaches also shows signs of focusing on high-value targets. Overall for the quarter, more than 481 million records were leaked; the transportation and logistics sector alone recorded 3 incidents involving over 210 million records. More than 5.4 million personal account records were exposed. Information-stealing malware remains the primary source of dissemination, capable of collecting both login information and session cookies from infected devices.

"Hackers are increasingly less likely to directly attack heavily protected systems, instead targeting links that are considered trustworthy, such as software libraries, development processes, vendors, or technical partners. A single point of entry here can simultaneously affect multiple organizations," a VCS representative stated .

On the other hand, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks continue to increase in frequency. Viettel's Anti-DDoS system recorded over 1.9 million attacks. The majority of these attacks were of low intensity, but were densely distributed across the target's address range. Hosting service providers were frequently targeted because incidents could have a ripple effect on many customers.

With over 34,000 new vulnerabilities, AI expands the attack surface.

The third quarter saw over 34,000 new security vulnerabilities. Nearly 60% were classified as Critical and High, focusing on internet-connected devices and platforms such as Citrix NetScaler, Microsoft SharePoint, GitLab, and Zimbra. According to VCS, the widespread application of AI-powered tools in vulnerability hunting may be a significant factor.

Attack campaigns still primarily revolve around vulnerabilities that have existed for years, such as Log4Shell, F5 BIG-IP, SolarWinds Orion, and Confluence. This reality shows that the gap between vulnerability detection and an organization's ability to address it remains a significant concern.

When a system has many internet-connected assets, a lack of thorough inventory, slow patch updates, or unclear prioritization can cause vulnerabilities to persist for extended periods.

AI is changing the way phishing campaigns are conducted. While at the beginning of the quarter, AI was primarily used to create fake images, voices, and content, by the end of the quarter, perpetrators began exploiting the guise of popular AI tools and fake job postings in the technology and cryptocurrency sectors to trick users into installing malware.

Combining highly persuasive content with deliberate phishing scenarios makes it difficult for users to identify anomalies through mere observation. Therefore, the risk stems not only from the technology used in the attack, but also from the ability of attackers to exploit users' psychology, habits, and trust levels.

Given the increasingly diverse risk landscape, businesses need to shift from an incident response approach to a proactive defense. Reviewing internet-connected assets, prioritizing critical vulnerability remediation, controlling access, and tightly managing third parties should be implemented in parallel with 24/7 security monitoring.

Businesses also need to regularly check and recover potentially compromised access information and update threat intelligence to identify attack campaigns early.

With a team of over 500 experts, VCS provides cybersecurity services and solutions ranging from Threat Intelligence, information security assessment, penetration testing to SOC and DDoS attack prevention.

The unit maintains research on emerging threats, participates in vulnerability detection, and connects with the international cybersecurity community, supporting organizations in identifying risks and strengthening defensive capabilities during operations and digital transformation .

To stay updated on the latest cybersecurity news in Vietnam and around the world , visit the Viettel Cyber ​​Security website:

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