Cybersecurity Law: Strategic Shifts in Leadership Responsibility and Data Governance

The Cybersecurity Law 2025 may mandate that business leaders obtain cybersecurity management certifications, standardize security infrastructure, and tighten accountability for personal data governance.

At the workshop "Cybersecurity Law 2025: A Step Forward in Data Security Protection" organized by the National Cybersecurity Association on November 24, a powerful message was delivered: The era of "reactive cybersecurity" is coming to an end.

Mr. Vu Ngoc Son, a representative of the National Cybersecurity Association, emphasized that the upcoming Cybersecurity Law 2025 will bring significant breakthroughs in personnel standardization. Most notably, legal regulations will require heads of organizations to mandatory hold certificates in cybersecurity management and assurance. This is not merely an administrative procedure but a signal that security responsibility has been elevated to the highest strategic level. 

New Regulations on Standardizing Leadership and Operational Teams 

The fundamental shift in the Law lies in moving from general responsibility to specific individual accountability, tied to certified competencies.  

Mandatory Requirements for Heads of Agencies and Organizations  

According to the draft and information from the workshop, the Cybersecurity Law 2025 will mandate that leaders of agencies and organizations possess certificates related to the management, operation, and assurance of cybersecurity. Details regarding these certificates will be specified in sub-law documents issued by the Ministry of Public Security.

However, a crucial distinction must be made to avoid confusion. These are not deep technical professional certificates like those held by system engineers or security specialists. These certificates focus on management capacity, helping leaders develop the correct mindset regarding risk management and the governance of secure information systems. 

The Core Role of Cybersecurity-Savvy Leadership  

Why this strict requirement? Reality shows that if the head of an organization does not understand the essence of cybersecurity, investment strategies often become "superficial" or lack focus.

When leaders possess a solid foundation of mindset and knowledge, businesses achieve three major benefits: 

• Decisive Decision-Making: Decisions regarding IT infrastructure investment, personnel organization, and data operations will be aligned with actual needs.
• Resource Optimization: Businesses avoid wasting budgets on unnecessary items, focusing instead on high-efficiency cybersecurity services.
• Sustainability: Ensuring the security system operates continuously without interruption caused by subjective factors. 

In addition, technical teams directly involved in operating information systems must also comply with standardization regulations. Each specific professional position will require corresponding certificates and skills, ensuring synchronization from the management level to the execution level. 

Cybersecurity-savvy leadership is the key factor in optimizing costs and ensuring data security for the organization. 

Ending Unsafe Data Collection and Processing  

Another key highlight of the Cybersecurity Law 2025 is the tightening of discipline in data management. The implementation of the new Law will completely eliminate business models based on irresponsible data collection, replacing them with a transparent digital market where public trust is guaranteed by strict corporate compliance. 

Strategic Impact Scenarios: From Freedom to Conditional Standardization  

In the context of Vietnam finalizing the legal framework to protect national digital assets, multi-national corporations (MNCs) need to prepare for fundamental changes in risk management. The Cybersecurity Law 2025 focuses on standardizing the team at the highest level: The management mindset of the leader. 

For the first time, a legal framework has been proposed: heads of agencies and organizations may be mandated to obtain Cybersecurity Management and Assurance certifications. These are not purely technical credentials, but rather essential competencies for strategic governance, informed investment decision-making, and the effective alignment of security personnel.

Strategic Impact Scenarios: From Unregulated Freedom to Conditional Standardization

This brings immense benefits to end-users. The prestige and reliability of digital services will increase as citizens know their data is managed by organizations strictly complying with legal standards. 

Strategic Adaptation Roadmap for MNCs: Partnering to Elevate IT Status 

Meeting the Cybersecurity Law 2025 should not be viewed as a barrier, but as an opportunity for management and IT teams to upgrade the enterprise's "immune system." For MNCs, this change requires a clever adaptation roadmap to ensure compliance while maintaining business momentum. 

Impact Scenarios and Organizational Preparation 

The shift from voluntary to mandatory standardization creates changes in how we operate data: 

International Context and Recommendations for Immediate Action 

Vietnam is not alone on this path. We are strongly catching up with the global trend where data is considered a national strategic asset, similar to the approaches of Singapore, South Korea, or Japan. Even the European Commission (EU) has identified data security as one of the fundamental human rights. 

With the construction of the National Data Center, the issuance of the Personal Data Protection Decree, and the upcoming Cybersecurity Law 2025, Vietnam is step-by-step perfecting a solid legal framework for the digital economy. 

What should businesses do now? 

Businesses should start data classification and encryption immediately. This proactive action reduces pressure on technical teams when official guiding documents are released, making the transition smoother and more sophisticated. 

Organizations need to take the following steps immediately: 

1. Review and Classify Data: Identify critical and sensitive data that requires priority protection.
2. Encryption and Secure Storage: Apply standard security technologies for stored data.
3. Monitoring and Rehearsal: Establish continuous monitoring processes and periodic incident response rehearsals. 

When official guiding documents are issued, businesses only need to adjust and supplement missing parts, avoiding passive situations or business disruptions due to non-compliance. 

The Cybersecurity Law 2025 is not just a legal regulation; it is an opportunity to form a new culture in ensuring cybersecurity in Vietnam. There, the role of the leader is emphasized, and data safety becomes a vital factor for the sustainable development of the organization. 

NetNam - Strategic Partner for Reliable IT Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Services. Contact us now for a consultation on the system standardization roadmap according to the latest legal standards. 

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