All cyber attacks should be condemned: foreign ministry spokesman

Hanoi (VNA) – All cyber attacks and hacking should be condemned and punished strictly, stated Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Hai Binh at the ministry’s regular press conference on August 4.

Binh made the statement in reply to reporters’ query on the recent attack on information systems and websites of several Vietnamese airlines by hackers who were said to be from China and spread messages related to territorial disputes over Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagoes.

Vietnam’s agencies timely implemented necessary measures to ensure security, safety and normal operations at airports, he said, adding that the country’s cyber security offices also took part in investigations.

Vietnam wants and is willing to coordinate closely with the international community in the fight against violations in any forms, including the recent incident, Binh said.

On July 29, the computer systems at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City and Noi Bai airport in Hanoi were hacked at 1:46pm and 4:07pm, respectively.

Data on thousands of Vietnam Airline’s Golden Lotus members were broken into and leaked out.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the attacks affected more than 100 flights, dozens of them were delayed for between 15 minutes and over one hour.-VNA