According to the British Standards Institute (BSI), standards play a crucial role in many sectors of the Vietnamese economy as it moves towards digital transformation across all industries and fields. When applying technology in daily life, the benefits and risks must be carefully considered. Risks can only be mitigated through trust in technology application. Therefore, building trust is vital, and digital standards will serve as a foundation to ensure a reliable digital future for everyone, as well as interoperability between systems and security from the design stage.

Speaking at the seminar "Digital Transformation Built on Trust: International Standards" held on February 29th in Hanoi, Mr. Peter Sissons, Director of International Policy at BSI, stated that standards bring positive results, and that digitalization can provide better public services, promote economic prosperity, improve agricultural processes, and foster the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

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Ms. Le Thi Thuy Trang, from the Digital Platform and Data Department, National Digital Transformation Agency, Ministry of Information and Communications, shared her insights at the conference. (Photo: Du Lam)

According to Ms. Le Thi Thuy Trang, from the Digital Platform and Data Department, National Digital Transformation Agency, Ministry of Information and Communications, since 2020, the Prime Minister has issued the National Digital Transformation Program, launching the goal of digital transformation and setting out specific solutions, including the goal of developing and exploiting data as a prerequisite for digital transformation. To exploit, share, and use data, regulations on standards, norms, and data exchange structures are needed.

Recently, the Ministry of Information and Communications has issued circulars, national technical regulations, and national technical standards on data. The Ministry of Information and Communications recommends that agencies and businesses study and use these standards, regulations, and technical guidelines in deploying information technology applications to serve the development of digital government and promote digital transformation.

At the workshop, Mr. Ha Minh Hiep, Acting Director General of the General Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ), shared that Vietnam has 255 standards related to areas of the digital economy such as big data, cloud computing and IoT, artificial intelligence, biometrics, etc.

Mr. Hiep further explained that the most difficult part of the digital transformation process is changing people's perceptions. Therefore, STAMEQ has outlined six steps to build awareness of digitalization, including, at the foundational level, improving digital culture, the culture of using existing resources, changing the perception of system management culture, a digital transformation culture based on cooperation and trust among participants, and finally, a lean management culture and an innovative culture.

Regarding the role of standardization, BSI believes it is a key element in supporting government policies. When combined with legislation, standards can support and promote better regulation. Therefore, national standardization organizations can support building trust and confidence in the digital transformation process and promote digital trade.

The rapid process of digitalization offers many great opportunities for the future for governments and businesses, but it also comes with many challenges such as system security, identity management, data protection, data analysis, and system interoperability. ISO/IEC standards contribute to maximizing the potential of digitalization as well as controlling related risks. Organizations need to be aware of risk management to help make decisions in situations of information scarcity.

In a quality infrastructure solution framework, standards are central. Quality infrastructure will help operate the financial, healthcare, and other economic sectors. Typically, national policies will define the roles, functions, and responsibilities of those involved in the system, helping to build trust in society.