HCM City strengthens information security protection

HCM City’s smart traffic monitoring and operation centre. — VNA/VNS Photo Tiến Lực

HCM CITY — HCM City is implementing solutions to ensure information security, including a four-layer protection model.

Lâm Đình Thắng, director of the city’s Department of Information and Communications, answered questions from delegates at the 17th session of the municipal People’s Council meeting on Monday, focusing on the city’s socio-economic and defense-security situation.

He said the city is carrying out a surveillance system open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, and building a backup database centre.

It sets a target of reviewing 100 per cent of the information technology infrastructure and ensuring connectivity among the city, districts, wards, communes and towns.

The department is collaborating with relevant units to review and identify the need for investment in over 3,000 devices for units and localities of VNĐ150 billion (US$5.9 million).

Regarding slow network access in localities affecting the interaction between residents and authorities, the department gave three reasons, including old and degraded computer infrastructure; huge demand for digital transformation and the arising requirements triggering difficulties for platform management; and software and platforms of ministries and agencies not in accordance with the city.

Regarding information security and network security, the city is implementing a number of solutions such as placing all data in the city’s data centre, which is monitored 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

The city is researching and building a backup data centre project.

It is deploying the four-layer information security protection model at agencies and units, a database centre, a team of independent assessment experts and system-to-system connection ensured by centrally-run agencies.

The city also has an information security response network to support units when incidents occur.

As for data sharing, the city’s database system has been linked to an integrated and shared digital database platform such as a system for handling administrative procedures, receiving and resolving information via switchboard 1022, and a unified system for resolving complaints and denunciations.

In the upcoming time, the city will put into operation systems for land management, construction licenses, electronic school records and electronic medical records. — VNS