Vietnamese authorities have confirmed a cyberattack on the National Credit Information Center (CIC), raising concerns about the safety of personal and financial data across the country’s lending sector.
The breach, detected on 10 September, is now being treated as a major threat to Vietnam’s centralised credit reporting system, which underpins decision-making for banks and financial institutions nationwide.
Officials say the incident may have exposed sensitive details of both individuals and businesses, prompting warnings for the public to remain alert.
Hack targets Vietnam’s central credit bureau
The CIC, which functions under the State Bank of Vietnam, is the country’s primary credit bureau. It collects and provides credit records for financial institutions to assess loan applications, making it a critical part of the banking system.
On 10 September, government monitoring systems detected unauthorised access to the CIC’s network, with early findings suggesting that the attackers aimed to steal personal data.
The Vietnam Cyber Emergency Response Center (VNCERT) confirmed that emergency measures were activated immediately.
The incident has since been described on the government’s website as one of the most serious cyber intrusions targeting the financial sector in recent years.
Investigators are now working with the central bank and other agencies to contain the breach, restore security, and assess the scale of data exposure.
Authorities investigate data theft risk
According to the government’s post, “preliminary results show signs of intrusion aimed at stealing personal data.”
The exact volume of compromised information remains under review, but the warning highlights the potential impact on millions of citizens and businesses that rely on the CIC’s services.
Authorities have explicitly cautioned individuals and organisations against downloading, sharing, or trading any leaked information that may surface online.
They have stressed that violators will face legal action under Vietnam’s cybersecurity laws. This step is designed to prevent the secondary spread of stolen data, which could amplify the risks of identity theft, fraud, and reputational harm.
Financial sector told to boost cyber defences
The government’s warning extends beyond the public. Banks and financial institutions across Vietnam have been urged to tighten their cybersecurity standards and bring their systems in line with national requirements.
This directive reflects wider concerns that hackers could exploit gaps in security infrastructure at multiple levels of the financial sector.
With the CIC at the centre of Vietnam’s credit market, the incident underscores how a breach at one node of the system could cascade into broader risks for lenders, borrowers, and investors.
By targeting the bureau, attackers could gain access to highly valuable credit histories, which could then be used for scams or sold on the dark web.
Vietnam braces for further investigation
While the breach is still under investigation, the government’s swift announcement on its website indicates the seriousness with which it views the threat.
Officials have emphasised that the priority is to secure the CIC’s systems, trace the source of the attack, and prevent further damage.
The incident adds to a growing list of cyber threats confronting Southeast Asia’s financial markets, where digitisation has expanded faster than security frameworks in some cases.
For Vietnam, the hack represents both a wake-up call and a test of the country’s ability to safeguard its financial infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals.
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