A multidisciplinary team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers led by Iddo Drori, a lecturer in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), has used a neural network model to solve university-level math problems at a human level in a matter of seconds.
“It will help students improve, and it will help teachers create new content, and it could help increase the level of difficulty in some courses. It also allows us to build a graph of questions and courses, which helps us understand the relationship between courses and their pre-requisites, not just by historically contemplating them, but based on data,” Iddo explained, also an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s Department of Computer Science.
Additionally, the model automatically explains solutions and rapidly generates new math problems for university-level courses. When the researchers presented these machine-generated questions to university students, the students were unable to distinguish whether the questions were created by a human or an algorithm.
This approach might be used to simplify the creation of course content, which would be particularly beneficial for big residential courses and massive open online courses (MOOCs) with thousands of students. The technology might also be used as an automated tutor that demonstrates to students how to solve basic math problems.
In the past, researchers employed a neural network, such as GPT-3, that was merely pretrained on the text like it was shown millions of examples of text to learn the patterns of natural language. This time, they employed a neural network that was trained on the text and “tuned” on code.
A machine learning model can perform better by using this network, known as Codex, which is effectively an additional pre-training procedure.
The model was exposed to millions of code examples from internet repositories. As the training data for this model contained millions of natural language words and millions of lines of code, it learns the relationships between text and code.
The machine-generated questions were evaluated by showing them to university students. The researchers assigned students 10 problems from each undergraduate math course in random order; five questions were prepared by people and the remaining five were generated by a computer.
Students were unable to discern whether the machine-generated questions were produced by an algorithm or a human, and they scored the difficulty level and course-appropriateness of questions generated by humans and machines similarly.
Researchers emphasised that this effort is not meant to take the place of actual teachers. They claim that although automation has reached 80 per cent accuracy, it will never reach 100 per cent. Every time someone figures something out, someone else will pose a more challenging problem.
Simply this work opens the door for people to begin using machine learning to answer ever-harder questions, and academics are optimistic that it will have a significant impact on higher education.
The team has expanded the work to handle math proofs because of the approach’s effectiveness, although there are several limits they intend to address. Due to computational complexity, the model is currently unable to answer questions with a visual component or resolve computationally intractable issues.
The model is being scaled up to hundreds of courses in addition to these obstacles. They will produce more data with those hundreds of courses, which they may use to improve automation and offer perceptions into course design and curricula.
In 2020, an in-cell digital technology was piloted by Corrective Services NSW at two NSW Correctional Centers under a programme designed to reduce reoffending by 5% by 2023.
The Offender Digital Services platform, following the pilot’s success and after securing funding from the Digital Restart Fund in 2021/22, is now being implemented across the state. By mid-next year, a total of 28 Correctional Centers will feature the in-cell devices. A total of AU$ 40.42 million has been contributed by the Digital Restart Fund to support 16 centres directly, ensuring the purpose-built technology will be implemented by June 2023.
The Offender Digital Services programme aims to leverage digital technology to transform rehabilitation in prisons across the state. The digitisation of services and programmes is expected to increase intervention opportunities, boost program dosage, promote self-efficacy through education and improve communication with support networks. Inmates transitioning back into the community will receive assistance, with the devices helping remove barriers to successful reintegration, mitigating the likelihood of reoffending.
The scheme uses secure devices that have been purpose-built for prison use and operate on a highly secure network. These devices are tamperproof, allowing restricted access to approved websites, services and applications including the Offender Telephone System. The cost of the tablets is offset by a small levy applied to prisoners every time they make a call to a mobile telephone.
Acknowledging delays due to the pandemic and recent flood disasters, the Acting Director of the Reducing Reoffending Program Management Office said Corrective Services is excited to now be progressing the tablet roll-out.
One inmate said that the scheme gives them the confidence to navigate the digital world. When they get out, they will know how to apply for Centrelink, submit a job or housing application as well as be familiar with how it all works.
In addition to improving digital literacy, the offender tablets also provide improved access to telephones. The tablets permit prisoners to connect securely and safely with support networks during in-cell time. Maintaining contact with family and friends has been positively associated with enhanced prisoner wellbeing, improvements in connectedness and improved reoffending outcomes.
“I wish they had tablets when I first came into custody. I struggled and felt so isolated, lonely, and scared. Now I feel connected to the outside world by keeping in contact with the news and my family, my daughter and Mum. I am thinking about my future, and I am more optimistic about getting a job,” one female prisoner has stated.
Offender Tablets also benefit staff particularly when inmates become self-sufficient and the requirements for a staff intermediary in everyday transactions are removed. The Acting Director of the Reducing Reoffending Programme Management Office has observed that efficiencies and time-saving benefits accruing from these new processes, allow Correctional Centre staff to spend time on more meaningful interactions with inmates.
She noted that the risk of harm is minimised as inmates can now carry out tasks independently, such as checking personal information and making phone calls. These changes incentivise pro-social behaviour among inmates, which contributes to reduced risk to officer safety.
The roll-out of Offender Digital Services in NSW prisons is an excellent example of the Digital Restart Fund’s capacity to support teams across the NSW Government to become leaders in the digital world. Corrective Services NSW is shaping positive changes to deliver quality outcomes not only for people in custody but the wider community.
The National Health Authority (NHA) has issued hardware guidelines for state and union territory hospitals, clinics, and wellness centres. The aim is to promote digitsation in healthcare institutions. The guidelines briefly describe the required infrastructure for the efficient implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), with a particular focus on quality patient care and the adoption of digital initiatives.
The guidelines provide a basic framework for the planning, assessment, and procurement of the IT hardware (including IT specifications of various hardware equipment) based on the size of the healthcare facility. It will enable healthcare providers to operate applications compliant with the ABDM.
ABDM is a national-level digital health ecosystem that intends to support universal health coverage (UHC) in an accessible, inclusive, and affordable manner, through the provision of big data and infrastructure services, and by leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems. At the same time, the government is keen on ensuring the security, confidentiality, and privacy of health-related personal information.
A press release quoted an NHA official as saying that the first step towards comprehensive ABDM implementation is the digitisation of hospitals. Several states and union territories have expressed the need for guidelines that give them an overview of the IT infrastructure requirements based on the health facility size. The document includes guidelines for desktops and laptops; printers; QR code readers; QR code printers; fingerprint scanners; uninterrupted power supply (UPS); and web cameras.
ABDM will connect the digital health solutions of hospitals and other health facilities across the country with each other. The digital ecosystem will also enable a host of other facilities like teleconsultation, paperless health records, QR code-based OPD registrations, etc. The digitisation of health records will ensure that old medical records of patients cannot get lost and are accessible to them anytime, anywhere. Ensuring the necessary IT infrastructure and implementation of hospital information management systems across health facilities at the state and union territory level will enable the seamless creation and exchange of digital health records across the ecosystem.
The guidelines published by NHA are suggestive and recommendatory in nature, the press release stated. States, union territories, and health facilities have the flexibility to modify these guidelines based on local requirements and circumstances.
In a bid to expand its digital capabilities, in June, NHA launched a public dashboard for real-time information about ABDM core registries, including Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers, the Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR), and the Health Facility Registry (HFR). As OpenGov reported, the dashboard displays data related to the number of ABHA generated, healthcare professionals registered, and digital health records linked with ABHA. It also has granular details about the number of health facilities (such as hospitals and laboratories) that are registered daily as well as the total number so far.
The dashboard provides information on national and state/union territory levels. The information is further segregated based on gender and age. For HFR, the dashboard presents the data through infographics based on ownership (government or private), systems of medicine, and state-wise facilities registered under the ABDM. Similarly, for the HPR, the dashboard segregates data based on the professional’s employment type (government or private sector), systems of medicine, and the state/union territory from where the applications have been received.
Over half a million students across Vietnam have been taught critical digital skills and how to stay safe in cyberspace over the last three years, according to a report by the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES).
The report was announced at a workshop on digital skills education at schools in Vietnam jointly held by the VNIES, the Vietnet Information Technology and Communication Centre (Vietnet-ICT), and a social networking giant. The event was attended by about 380 participants, 300 of whom attended via teleconference.
The Deputy Director of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET)’s Department of Primary Education, called for better coordination among schools, families, and society in ensuring safe and healthy cyberspace for students. News reports quoted a representative of VNIES as saying that digital skills education is becoming increasingly important as the robust evolution of technology is impacting every aspect of life and changing the ways people teach and learn. Students should be equipped with digital skills that enable them to seize the opportunity to become pioneers, the official said, adding that they must also be connected with the world of opportunities and provided with the necessary skills to succeed in a digital world.
Those with a higher skill level are likely to be more comfortable and confident in learning and their Internet safety will be enhanced as threats are always present, the official explained. It is also vital for the students to be taught about the importance of ethics of online communications and information exchange, as they are now facing challenges related to copyright, plagiarism, cyber-bullying, and fact-checking. Digital education will nurture a generation of more responsible netizens.
The report provides an impact assessment on a joint programme that aimed to raise awareness about online safety and promote digital skills needed to build a generation of strong citizens. Under the programme, more than 3,000 teachers from secondary and high schools in 39 cities and provinces nationwide were trained. They passed on what they had learnt to over 20,800 fellow educators, from 2019 to June 2022.
A manual exclusively developed for teachers was also introduced at the workshop, providing instructions on how they can design exciting lessons to educate students about digital skills and Internet safety. An expert at the event stated that the launch of the impact assessment report and the manual book on digital skills and Internet safety for teachers will offer more opportunities for the incorporation of digital citizen lessons into classes and extracurricular activities.
At the end of 2021, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) and the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) announced a collaboration to digitally transform the education sector. The two ministries said they would compile assessment criteria and information safety standards for online learning platforms. As OpenGov Asia reported, from September to November of last year, the government installed Internet connections to facilitate online learning at 1,000 locations, and installations at the remaining targeted regions were completed in January this year. A programme launched by the Prime Minister had handed over more than 100,000 computers to help students learn online. It also accelerated the installation of Internet connections in remaining locations with a budget of some VND 3 trillion (US$ 131.54 million), while reducing online learning tuition fees totalling VND 500 billion (US$ 22 million) for some student groups.
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and a Malaysian car manufacturer announced the signing of a strategic partnership to introduce their Digital Transformation Ecosystem Programme. The programme is aimed at upgrading local automotive suppliers to the next level by using cutting-edge technologies and machinery and digitalising their manufacturing processes through the adoption of Industry 4.0.
The Chief Executive Officer of MIDA stated that local companies are crucial in building the nation’s industry ecosystem – geared to support large companies and MNCs. The initiation of this new collaboration was crucial to ensure the steady development of local players’ capabilities in the automotive industry.
The CEO also said that the Government has undertaken concerted efforts to review existing policies and recalibrate investment strategies to ensure that the Malaysian business environment remains conducive to global investors. The Government has also been persistently undertaking efforts to promote and facilitate local companies to scale up and accelerate their adoption of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technology through various incentives and facilities.
Under its initiative to facilitate these companies to adopt digitalisation and Industry 4.0, MIDA has successfully contributed to the growth of the partnering company’s manufacturing volume, through the empowerment of its industry partners and service providers, he added.
For 2022, MIDA continued its initiatives through domestic investment seminars, engagement with national associations and chambers of commerce, industry linkage/supply chain programmes and domestic investment coordination platform commitments.
MIDA will coordinate business-matching sessions between anchor companies and potential local suppliers/providers within specific industries, from networking arrangements for companies and potential funders and technology providers.
As of 30 June 2022, 238 Malaysian-owned companies were approved with business grants valued at RM138.5 million. The recipients were SMEs from labour-intensive industries such as plastics, wood, furniture and textiles, while the rest were from services-related industries.
Meanwhile, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the car manufacturer stated that the Digital Transformation Ecosystem Programme is aligned with the Government’s efforts to enhance local technology ecosystem development activities in terms of supply and value chains, research and development activities, and innovation and commercialisation.
He noted that the first group of participants is promising and has implemented their proposed projects. An event will be organised to showcase the first group’s progress as well as to welcome the second group into the project as they too have presented feasible Industry 4.0 ideas to be implemented within their operations. The implementation of Industry 4.0 not only benefits automotive suppliers but also contributes greatly to the country’s digital transformation agenda. The programme also can fast-track Malaysia’s industries, from small to large, as it provides both funds and guidance.
The first phase of the strategic partnership has brought forth three potential friendly partners of the company. These companies have also been granted Domestic Investment Strategic Fund (DISF) as part of the Government’s initiative to help local companies enter the global supply chain.
Under this similar programme, the two parties have identified five new vendors that have shown much potential and growth opportunities.
MIDA, being the pivotal principal promotional agency of Malaysia, will be extending their support services to help more companies obtain growth in terms of productivity, talent and bridging financial and technology gaps. The agency is confident that through such facilities and empowerment measures, these automotive players will be able to increase their business offerings and expertise to innovate their products and services and climb the supply chain ecosystems.
Intelligent automation (IA) has become the new norm for the public sector in today’s increasingly digital and tech-enabled environment. Automation in repetitive tasks allows businesses to increase their efficiency. However, next-level performance can only happen by applying intelligent automation across a gamut of duties.
The public sector typically deals with large amounts of manual, repetitive administrative tasks, which can take valuable time away from strategic work. Intelligent automation can be a game changer in improving service delivery, as VITAL, the Singapore Government’s shared services department has demonstrated.
In an exclusive interview with Mohit Sagar, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, OpenGov Asia, Dennis Lui, Chief Executive, VITAL, Ministry of Finance and Wong Wen-Ming, Vice President and Managing Director, Southeast Asia, UiPath shared in-depth insights on how intelligent automation betters public services.
Intelligent Automation for the Public Sector
According to Dennis, the challenge is how enterprises can prepare for the impending hybrid human-digital workforce. Moreover, there is a huge opportunity for software automation in the public sector that is currently untapped.
In embracing software automation, the Singaporean government’s shared services department has effectively freed up human resources for more creative and higher-order tasks while bettering services. VITAL has been leveraging software automation to realise its vision of every officer becoming a citizen developer, building robots for themselves and their colleagues using low- or no-code tools, from automating deposit creation to using AI to sift through resumes in the hiring process.
Right at the recruitment stage, software automation helped HR employees to shortlist candidates more rapidly, saving them time and allowing them to concentrate on analysing more qualified prospects.
Dennis shared that the government is attempting to scale digital solutions despite facing numerous challenges. “Most government agencies are looking into or offering digital services to citizens and other stakeholders, but many of the problems they face are not technical,” Dennis observes.
Scaling digital is hard because strategy and decisions are made in silos, people are afraid to take risks, and there are not enough funds. Important to digital transformation in government is taking immediate action on these concerns, which can range from dismantling organisational silos to addressing digital skills gaps and a lack of resources. If left unaddressed, these key problems, though not technical, put digital government programmes at risk and make it hard to keep budget allocations and get the benefits that were promised.
Solutions have to be implemented to deal with these issues, such as governance frameworks, building culture and consensus across the organisation and improving digital skills.
As Singapore’s government adds more digital services, the country needs to come up with standards and guidelines to make sure that users have a full and consistent experience. “Standardisation is a very important thing to do.”
The Digital Service Standards (DSS) have helped agencies set up their digital services so they can meet the goal of the Digital Government Blueprint (DGB), which is to give citizens and businesses digital services that are easy, seamless and useful.
All digital services that the government offers to the public must meet the DSS. The government also does “mystery shopping” based on the DSS to make sure that digital services are always set up in a way that meets the goals of the DGB.
Data consolidation is a crucial step in the integration and management of data operations. It makes all data management information accessible quickly and readily and centralising all data boosts productivity and efficiency.
Robotic process automation (RPA) has quickly become one of the most important aspects, assisting businesses in increasing productivity and long-term success. Although RPA is only one piece of the modern business technology puzzle, it is frequently used as an introduction to the convenience and speed that automation can bring to a business.
With rules-based software robots performing repetitive operations that are typically marred by human mistakes, the government can provide a more efficient and accurate service to the public.
Flexible automation technologies are required for advanced manufacturing and assembly of discrete goods to increase production efficiencies and enhance product quality. This is especially true in the production of products with a diverse product mix and fluctuating production quantities.
Although industrial robots allow for a great deal of production and assembly flexibility, they lack the precision required for precise manufacturing and assembly operations.
People often say that the goal of public sector services is to serve the people, thus employees can be more productive and happier at work with the help of software robots. This is good for both employees and the company – and citizens.
Furthermore, automation not only makes it easier for the government to do its job but also makes life better for both employees and the public. As automation spreads through the public sector, it gives workers more time to improve how people interact with the government.
Dennis highlighted that as part of its RPA journey, VITAL has made a “bot library” with automation best practices and scripts for more than 100 Singaporean government agencies. Since 2017, the organisation’s digital roadmap has been built around automation. And VITAL has moved on to putting in place automation that works without a person present and adopting a citizen developer strategy.
He also shared that the goal of VITAL is for every officer to be able to build robots for themselves and their co-workers using low-code or no-code tools like UiPath StudioX. Having a tool for automation that doesn’t require much or any coding has helped VITAL scale automation faster.
The UiPath Platform is a good alternative for non-IT-trained officers who find it hard to learn the standard RPA developer software on top of their regular work. It is easier to learn than the standard software.
As part of a low-code or no-code solution, VITAL is starting to use citizen developers. When talking about scalability, it is how they can scale RPA with enough flexibility and agility.
“Upskilling Singaporeans could result in more investment and high-end manufacturing in Singapore,” Dennis believes.
In five years, he envisions using automation in the public sector by utilising an extremely powerful central north of the organisation that provides intelligent operation while providing extremely productive human resources.
How to Become a Fully Automated Enterprise
UiPath Vice President and Managing Director, Wen-Ming feels that any type of AI-enhanced software might be referred to be a software robot, especially if it includes machine learning and automates formerly manual tasks. Virtual assistants, expert systems and other chatbots are examples of software robots.
“This implies that many everyday programmes, such as spam filters and antivirus software, could be regarded as software robots,” says Wen-Ming. ” UiPath is a robotic process automation tool for large-scale end-to-end automation.”
The primary distinction between a fully automated enterprise and a traditional enterprise is their automation approaches. A fully automated enterprise approaches automation proactive, whereas a traditional enterprise approaches it reactively.
A fully automated enterprise considers automation first and applies it where it makes the most sense and has the most impact. A fully automated enterprise strikes the proper balance between what software robots can do and what humans can focus on.
The following are the four Pillars of a fully automated enterprise:
“These pillars are a response to real, material outcomes that we’re observing in the industry,” says Wen-Ming.
RPA can increase productivity to offer more accurate intelligence data as well as give users real-time access to financial data with reporting and analytical capabilities. It functions best when used with routine, rule-based processes that call for manual inputs. There aren’t many, if any, alterations needed to implement the automation because the software robot uses another programme UIs.
Governments are still struggling to balance their budgets and use their limited IT resources effectively, but technological advancements are enabling automation solutions to increase operational efficiencies. Digital transformation for all levels of government solves the problem of doing more with less by modernising government technology.
Along with the surge in developing technologies, constrained budgets, and overstressed IT, staff, new possibilities for government task automation have emerged, pushing operational efficiencies for governments of all sizes.
For the government, automation is not a novel technology. However, as process robots and artificial intelligence advance, workload automation is becoming increasingly important in streamlining work traditionally performed by government employees.
Public institutions throughout the world have struggled to handle citizen demands during the pandemic, such as the surge in calls to contact centres.
UiPath helped VITAL and other public sector organisations achieve their IT objectives. Some assistance with establishing virtual contact centres. Agencies can offer round-the-clock support with software robots. And robots can respond to many queries with personalised responses.
If a situation worsens, contact centre representatives are available to provide a human touch. As soon as citizens’ wants are addressed, their faith in the government grows, which strengthens the bonds between the two.
“RPA automation fits well into that overall goal, as does speeding up its revolutionary adoption across all ministries,” says Wen-Ming.
Automation was still relatively unknown in those early days, he says, “But through a virus programme that we implemented, we attempted to raise awareness of how automated automation can transform a business.”
Because VITAL is the public sector’s advisor and this is public information, Dennis and his team have been at the forefront of encouragement, according to Wen-Ming.
RPA automation knowledge should be embedded in polytechnics and universities. As they embark on this journey, consider the technology or business streams – when they graduate, they intend to work with RPA automation in mind.
Furthermore, Asian adoption and thinking outside the box are required. “Yes, and we provide the necessary technology and enablement to empower all ministries and agencies to scale.”
Wen-Ming recognises that the future of work is changing and software automation has emerged as the perfect solution. Hence, human workers can be freed from tedious and repetitive administrative activities by using digital workers on intelligent automation platforms to learn and execute human-like business procedures.
These simplify work procedures and, most crucially, provide human employees more time to complete work of greater value and to feel more purposeful both within the organisation and for themselves.
Building up the skills of employees will be important for businesses. Organisations’ education and training policies should encourage workers to learn automation skills that are in demand and give them chances to improve their skills so they can keep up with changes in technology.
“I think communication is critical communication, a form of raising the level of awareness that automation is going to be here to assist,” Wen-Ming is firmly convinced.
He emphasises the importance of ensuring that everyone is more productive and accurate and that they have more time to upskill themselves to do something much more strategic.
The entire mindset, acceptance, adoption and awareness are critical to ensuring that the workforce has embraced rather than resisted automation. The same with manufacturing process automation – it should be adopted by businesses as it will soon become a standard tool in the manufacturing industry.
Wen-Ming is optimistic about the role of IA, RPA and technology down the road. “I think three to five years from now – what I wish, and I think it’s going to happen – automation will go beyond just a robotic process. I think bots that mimic human thinking will become a part of daily life and, hopefully, help to build a better world.”
Two Frameworks of Cooperation, one in the digital economy and another in the green economy have been fundamentally concluded by the two nations through Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Malaysia’s Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
“The Frameworks of Cooperation in both the digital economy and green economy mark a milestone in the long-standing and multifaceted partnership between Singapore and Malaysia. The Agreements lay the foundation for further cooperation between both countries across various areas of the green and digital economies in Singapore and Malaysia, to deliver tangible benefits to our communities and businesses,” says Minister Gan.
The Cooperation Frameworks serve as the foundation for future bilateral initiatives in the digital and green economies. Singapore and Malaysia have also agreed to work together to sign both Cooperation Frameworks by the end of 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused technological disruption and accelerated digitalisation, significantly altering consumer behaviours and business models while opening up new opportunities.
Singapore and Malaysia will foster greater interoperability and collaboration in the digital economy to capture the next phase of growth.
The Framework for Cooperation in the Digital Economy will facilitate increased collaboration in a variety of areas, including:
This will open a broader range of opportunities for businesses, workers, and communities in both countries.
Singapore and Malaysia will strengthen their collaboration in the green economy to decarbonise industries and enable businesses and workers to capitalise on emerging opportunities.
Both countries have agreed to collaborate on next-generation mobility under the Framework of Cooperation in Green Economy, which includes:
The 12th Malaysia Plan’s objectives of boosting green businesses, lowering pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and conserving natural resources are all in line with the areas of cooperation in the green economy that has been agreed upon, Dato’ Seri Azmin stressed.
The Senior Minister also reaffirmed that this effort is being made as part of the Malaysian Government’s initiative to hasten the transition of the local manufacturing sector, particularly SMEs, to ESG and green economy, allowing them to integrate into regional and global supply chains; strengthening supply chain resilience; and meeting the growing demand of local consumers for ESG-compliant products.
Through this collaboration, the two nations can share their best methods for measuring carbon emissions from the manufacturing sector.
In keeping with the MyDigital Agenda, he also expressed confidence that the Digital Economy Framework will further enable companies to digitally integrate their activities globally, improving economic competitiveness.
Meanwhile, the Enabling Masterplan 2030 (EMP2030), which outlines Singapore’s vision for an inclusive society in 2030, was just made public.
The EMP2030, Singapore’s fourth Enabling Masterplan, was developed by a 27-member Steering Committee and includes 29 recommendations organised around three strategic themes and 14 focal areas that address the various life stages and needs of people with disabilities and their caregivers.
The government has accepted all EMP2030’s recommendations and will work with partners in the public and private sectors to put them into action. The following are some highlights from the recommendations and selected implementation plans:
Singapore believes that everyone has a role to play in creating a fair and inclusive society, one in which people with disabilities can pursue their dreams, reach their full potential, and participate as integral and contributing members of society.
Foreign firms shall be required to store users’ data in Vietnam and set up local offices, according to a government decree (No. 53/2022/ND-CP), scheduled to take place from the beginning of October 2022.
Under the decree, which details the implementation of the Cybersecurity Law coming into force in 2019, must-be-stored data belonging to and created by users in Vietnam includes account names, credit card information, email and IP addresses, service use time, most recent logins, registered phone numbers, and friends and groups users interact with online. Further, financial records, biometric data, and information on a user’s ethnicity and political views must be stored within Vietnamese territory.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), the data must be stored for at least 24 months, and system logs for criminal investigation purposes must be stored for at least 12 months. Firms will have 12 months to set up local data storage and local offices following the reception of instructions from the Minister of Public Security.
The decree will apply to telecommunication service providers and businesses that store and share data in cyberspace or provide national or international domain names for users in Vietnam. Also, e-commerce players, payment intermediaries, transport connection services operating in cyberspace, social media, online video gaming services, and messaging and voice or video call services.
In June, MIC stated that to ensure information security for information systems and Vietnam’s cyberspace, it would strengthen monitoring and proactive scanning, evaluate statistics, and issue warnings in the mass media so that users know and avoid the risk of cyber-attacks.
Earlier this month, the government issued a national cybersecurity strategy in response to cyberspace challenges till 2025 with a vision towards 2030. The strategy targets to maintain Vietnam’s ranking on the global cybersecurity index from 25th-30th by 2025. MIC has laid out the major tasks and solutions in the strategy, including strengthening the overall management of the state over cybersecurity, completing legal frameworks, and protecting national sovereignty in cyberspace.
As OpenGov Asia reported, the government will work to safeguard digital infrastructure, platforms, data, and national cyberinfrastructure. It will protect the information systems of state agencies as well as crucial sectors that need to be prioritised to ensure information security. Through the strategy, the country will foster digital trust and build an honest, civilized, and healthy network environment. It will prevent and combat law violations in cyberspace and enhance technological mastery and autonomy to actively cope with cyberspace challenges.
The government will train and develop human resources in cybersecurity, raise awareness about cybersecurity skills, and work to secure funding to implement cybersecurity initiatives. The strategy also aims to improve national prestige and foster international integration.
Meanwhile, incident response teams of 11 priority sectors for network information security will be formed. The key areas include transport, energy, natural resources and environment, information, health, finance, banking, defence, security, social order and safety, urban areas, and the government’s direction and administration.
According to a report released by the ITU in June 2021, Vietnam jumped 25 places after two years to rank 25th out of 194 countries and territories worldwide in the GCI in 2020. Vietnam ranked 7th in the Asia-Pacific region and 4th among ASEAN countries in the field.
© 2022 OpenGov Asia – CIO Network Pte Ltd.
