Immediately after the success of the August Revolution, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born. On September 12, 1945, under the direction of the General Command, the Military Cryptography Department - the first cryptographic agency of our State was established, with the task of researching how to use cryptography to ensure the secrecy of leadership and command information; in 1947, it was upgraded to the Cryptography Department under the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. At the 1951 All-Army Cryptography Conference, "cryptography" was renamed "cipher", marking a new step of development, demonstrating the mission, confidential nature, and importance of the industry to the revolutionary cause.

Major General Hoang Van Quan, Director of the Department of Cryptography, inspects the security equipment monitoring system at the Cryptographic Technical Assurance Center 1, Department of Cryptography. Photo: VAN LUC

During the resistance war against French colonialism, the cryptography industry rapidly developed in all aspects, promptly ensuring absolute secrecy of leadership, direction and command information in campaigns, especially the Dien Bien Phu Campaign in 1954. Entering the resistance war against the US to save the country, the Army's cryptography industry had remarkable development. In March 1961, the Ministry of National Defense decided to upgrade the Cryptography Department to the Cryptography Department under the General Staff. The industry organized the encoding and decoding of more than 15 million secret telegrams, contributing significantly to the overall victory of the nation, liberating the South, and unifying the country.

When the country was reunited, the Army's cryptography branch continued to carry out and successfully complete its tasks in the border protection wars and international missions in Laos and Cambodia. Entering the renovation period, the Army's cryptography branch proactively advised the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, and the General Staff to build, consolidate, and develop the Army's cryptography branch to meet the requirements and tasks in each period.

In particular, from 2016 to present, thoroughly implementing Conclusion No. 90-KL/QUTW dated February 5, 2016 of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee on building and developing the Army's cryptography industry towards modernization, the Cipher Department has advised on the development and rapid implementation of the industry modernization project, with key programs and projects, completed on schedule, ensuring good quality; maintaining a cryptographic technical system operating smoothly 24/7, ensuring confidentiality, accuracy, and timeliness of information for leaders and commanders at all levels in all situations; promoting digital transformation, building and providing specialized digital signature authentication services for public services, contributing to the construction of a digital government and administrative reform in the Ministry of National Defense.

Throughout the 80-year journey of building, fighting and growing, generations of cadres, employees and soldiers of the Army's cryptography sector have always been infinitely loyal to the Party, the Fatherland and the people, ready to fight and sacrifice for the cause of protecting the Party's secrets; with a steadfast devotion; united, disciplined, and working together to build a comprehensively developed sector; regardless of conditions and circumstances, the image and qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers have always shone brightly.

Faced with the requirement of building a modern Army, protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, and at the same time effectively implementing the Strategy for developing Vietnam's cryptographic industry to 2030, with a vision to 2045, it is urgent that the Army's cryptographic industry must strongly innovate and comprehensively develop its force organization, science and technology level, legal document system and methods of operation in new conditions. In that spirit, Party committees, commanders and cryptographic agencies at all levels in the entire army need to thoroughly grasp the Party's guidelines and policies, resolutely and synchronously implement policies and solutions to improve the quality and effectiveness of cryptographic operations, meeting the requirements and tasks in the new period.

Firstly, thoroughly grasp the Party's directives and resolutions, focusing on Resolution No. 56-NQ/TW and Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo, Resolution No. 3488-NQ/QUTW of the Central Military Commission and directive documents of the Ministry of National Defense, concretize the tasks of the sector into practice, develop action plans and programs that are realistic, feasible and effective; continue to perfect legal documents on cryptography. At the same time, speed up the implementation of projects and programs under the Project to modernize the military cryptography sector and the "Information security and safety program for some high-tech weapon systems" to ensure progress, good quality, and meet requirements and tasks.

Second, proactively advise on building a strong cryptographic force, with a streamlined organization and staff, suitable for the command system at all levels; a team of cadres and employees with good political qualities, ethics, and high professional qualifications; always maintaining professional ethics, worthy of being a trusted force of Party committees and commanders at all levels in protecting information secrets of the Army and the country. Focus on innovating the content, programs, and training and fostering methods; improve the quality of professional training, close to reality, in accordance with the motto "basic, practical, solid, specialized". In particular, focus on discovering, training, fostering, and using a team of cadres with high professional qualifications, researching and developing modern cryptographic techniques.

Third, prioritize investment in the synchronous and modern construction of cryptographic technical systems; research and develop specialized cryptographic products suitable for the specific characteristics of the military environment. This is a key step, of decisive significance in improving the quality and efficiency of cryptographic work. The cryptographic industry needs to proactively grasp new technological trends, apply artificial intelligence (AI), big data, cloud computing, quantum technology, post-quantum cryptography in the design and development of cryptographic products; ensure the confidentiality of command and control information, smooth operation, and absolute safety in all situations. Along with that, it is necessary to continue researching, improving, and specializing equipment; enhancing security capacity for automatic command systems, high-tech weapons, meeting the requirements of high-tech warfare and multi-domain operations.

Fourth, promote the development of the digital certification system in the Ministry of National Defense to ensure synchronization and efficiency, meeting the requirements of building an e-Government, digital transformation, administrative reform and ensuring safety in electronic transactions. Maintain and provide full digital certificates and digital signature certification services, ensuring the system operates 24/7 throughout the army.

Fifth, promote international cooperation on information security, information safety, technology transfer and training of high-quality human resources. The cryptographic sector proactively advises the Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff to deploy key cooperation programs with prestigious partners in the world in the field of cryptography and information security; at the same time, selectively absorb advanced technology suitable to Vietnam's reality to autonomously research, design and manufacture cryptographic products to serve the security of information systems, weapons and military equipment.

Modernizing the Army's cryptography sector is an inevitable and objective requirement, an inseparable part of the process of building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite and modern Vietnam People's Army. This is not only the task of the cryptography sector alone, but also the common responsibility of the entire army, which needs to be implemented more drastically, synchronously and effectively in the coming time. Faced with new opportunities and new challenges, the Army's cryptography sector needs to continue to promote its glorious tradition, uphold the spirit of self-reliance, self-improvement, innovation and creativity, be ready to receive and excellently complete all assigned tasks, contributing to firmly protecting the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.

Major General, Dr. HOANG VAN QUAN, Director of the Cipher Department, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army

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    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/80-nam-cach-mang-thang-tam-va-quoc-khanh-2-9/modern-flower-industry-has-required-military-resources-to-respond-to-the-new-spirit-840155