A major step in Vietnam’s ambitious efforts to create one of Southeast Asia’s most developed digital economies was taken on Monday when the country unveiled a comprehensive strategy to safeguard national financial security in the digital age.
The “National Financial Security Protection in the Digital Era” project for 2026–2030 was publicly introduced at a meeting in Hanoi by the National Cybersecurity Association and the State Bank of Vietnam. The program comes at a time when Vietnam’s digital economy handles over 41 million financial transactions per day and accounts for roughly 20% of the country’s GDP.
Safeguarding Financial Infrastructure
Financial security is now “a direct and inseparable component of national security” in the digital age, according to Lieutenant General Nguyen Minh Chinh, permanent deputy head of the National Cybersecurity Association. He cautioned that data manipulation and cyberattacks are becoming more complex and international, endangering not just the economy but also social stability and national sovereignty.
One of the industries leading this digital revolution is banking. To safeguard their IT systems, every single financial institution in Vietnam has created internal security plans and made technological investments. The interbank electronic payment system processes an average of 1.55 trillion Vietnamese dong every day, and several banks currently handle more than 95% of their transactions digitally.
Developing Digital Citizenship
A contentious points-based ranking system for “digital citizens” on the country’s VNeID platform was also proposed by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security last week. According to the proposed resolution, residents would be divided into three groups according to their level of digital activity. Those who score 350 points or higher would be referred to as “active digital citizens” and would be eligible for fee waivers and tax breaks on government services.
With 50 digital utilities integrated and 67 million verified users, the VNeID app is being developed into a nationwide “super-platform” that serves as a single point of access for all communications between the public, private sector, and the government. The National Population Database has handled 2.1 billion verification requests and currently has 107 million citizen records.
Investment In Infrastructure Accelerates
The National Data Center, which was founded in February 2025 and formally opened in August in Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Hanoi, serves as the cornerstone of Vietnam’s digital aspirations. The building, which was finished three months ahead of schedule, is one of the biggest in Southeast Asia and is intended to serve as the nation’s main gateway to all government services by January 1, 2026.
The government has set lofty goals, including making sure the digital economy reaches $52 billion in 2025, having all adults have digital IDs by 2026, and placing Vietnam in the top three ASEAN countries for the development of its digital economy by 2030.