People are the core nucleus
The digital transformation process globally is creating a new development space for Vietnam National Industries - Energy Group (Petrovietnam).
However, the increasingly deep connection between information technology systems, operating technology, databases and management platforms also increases the risk of network insecurity.
At Petrovietnam's 2026 Network Security Conference, experts and member units agreed that network security is no longer the sole task of the information technology department.
This requirement is especially important when Petrovietnam manages many key projects, industrial systems and databases.
Each official, engineer, operating expert or contractor personnel can become a link in the network defense system. If there is a lack of awareness, skills or compliance discipline, a small mistake can pave the way for a major incident.
Reality at Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (BSR) shows that the prominent challenge is the gap in cybersecurity capacity between the information technology team and the operating force of the industrial system.
Operating personnel have in-depth knowledge of production processes but may not be fully trained in network security. While information technology personnel do not always fully understand the specifics of the control system and the continuous operation requirements of the factory.
To overcome this, in recent years BSR has implemented a training culture throughout the Corporation. A regular training platform has been built by BSR with a relatively large scale.
In 2025, businesses implemented 160 series of programs with 14,512 participants, combining direct training, online learning and testing on digital platforms.
Activities such as seminars on safety culture, programs promoting learning culture and business culture surveys contribute to creating a favorable environment for integrating network security content into joint training activities.
Some experts believe that in the coming time, Petrovietnam needs to build a comprehensive digital skills training program; incentives to attract talents in information technology, network security and data science.
In the work of ensuring network security, the head plays a decisive role in turning security requirements into the consistent management responsibility of the unit.
At Petrovietnam, this requirement needs to be linked to the results of system protection, data, response and recovery capabilities after incidents, and building a network security culture throughout the Group.
At the same time, the results of implementing regulations on information security, data protection and state secret protection may be included in the evaluation criteria for work efficiency.
The head must also promote training, drills, develop specialized forces and raise awareness so that each official and employee becomes a responsible link in Petrovietnam's network defense system.
Forming a network security culture
Network security human resources do not only include experts working in operating centers or technology departments.
In a corporation operating in many fields and areas like Petrovietnam, the ability to protect also depends on the awareness, behavior and sense of responsibility of all employees.
Network security culture must first of all be expressed through specific actions: using accounts in accordance with regulations, protecting authenticated information, checking the origin of emails, not arbitrarily connecting devices to the system...
When these behaviors become professional habits, people will no longer be exploitable weaknesses but become an active defensive layer.
Network security training should therefore not stop at mass knowledge dissemination programs. Petrovietnam needs to build a capacity framework for each personnel group.
Employees need to be equipped with skills to identify and report risks; management staff need to understand the responsibility of commanding, coordinating and deciding when incidents occur; information technology and operating technology personnel need to be deeply trained...
In addition, training programs also need to be designed according to situations close to the operations of each unit.
Regarding this issue, Deputy General Director of Petrovietnam Phan Tu Giang requested the heads of units to directly direct network security work.
At the same time, regularly train and raise awareness for workers and build a team of specialized experts, especially in data protection and industrial systems.
The goal is to form a common understanding that each official and employee is a link in Petrovietnam's network defense system.
In the long term, Petrovietnam also needs to proactively prepare human resources for new fields such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and nuclear energy.
These are fields that require long training time, interdisciplinary knowledge and strict security standards. If you only start preparing when the system has been deployed, human resources will hardly meet the actual requirements.
Human development and building a network security culture is a continuous process that needs to be implemented simultaneously with technology investment and institutional improvement.
When each employee understands their responsibilities, has enough skills and proactively participates in protecting the system, Petrovietnam will form a safe, reliable and highly resistant digital space, creating a foundation for the goal of becoming a modern national industrial - energy corporation.
