Việt Nam’s Cybersecurity ‘Super Career’: Money, Power, and Citizens’ Data

Individuals searching for a “hot” profession—an ideal job offering a high income and an unparalleled level of power—might imagine a position at one of Việt Nam’s “Big Four” banks, an executive seat at a private corporation, or a role at billion-dollar foreign tech giants such as Google, Meta, or Apple.

The reality, however, is different from all of the above.

There is one specific profession rarely seen on recruitment platforms such as LinkedIn, VietnamWorks, or TopCV and seldom discussed openly in cafés. Nevertheless, it is desperately seeking workers while offering generous benefits and extraordinary privileges that few people could imagine. [1]

The profession in question is the cybersecurity sector, a field suffering from a severe labor shortage and currently prioritized for recruitment by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Ministry of National Defense. [2] [3]

A Profession “Desperate” for Manpower

Recently, state media has repeatedly highlighted a critical gap in the nation’s digital infrastructure, running headlines such as “Việt Nam suffers 659,000 cyberattacks annually” “Cybersecurity workforce: A major gap,” and “Cybersecurity workforce: The decisive link in digital transformation.” [4] [5] [6]

This narrative is supported by a report from the National Cybersecurity Association (NCA), which projects a potential shortage of over 700,000 cybersecurity workers in the coming years. [7]

To address the issue, the Communist Party issued Plan No. 04-KH/BCĐTW. The plan sets a target to cultivate a team of 10,000 highly qualified cybersecurity experts by 2030 and mandates that Vietnamese-made cybersecurity products and services capture over 50% of the domestic market. [8]

The MPS has stated that this large-scale force is necessary to protect the Communist Party and safeguard “regime security.”

Furthermore, the ministry emphasizes that “cyberspace is increasingly becoming a strategic environment tied to the operations of the state apparatus, national defense, security, the economy, and society.”

Earning Up to 500% of a Standard Wage

When evaluating the salaries and benefits offered to network engineers, the MPS and the Ministry of National Defense appear even more generous than American tech giants such as Google or Apple. [9]

Cybersecurity specialists within these ministries belong to one of the highest-budgeted groups in the state system. Their compensation exceeds ordinary public-sector limits, effectively paying them handsomely to monitor and punish the very taxpayers funding their salaries.

Under current policies, the combined monthly salary and special allowances for these roles can easily exceed 300% of the standard public-sector wage. [10]

This compensation can peak at 500% of the standard salary grade if a candidate is designated as “highly recruited talent” or receives approval from the minister of public security under a “special preferential treatment” mechanism.

Essentially, ministerial approval of a recruit’s capability and diligence can result in a salary five times the standard rate.

Beyond the exceptional income, these professionals are granted priority in staffing guarantees and working conditions. When we contrast these positions with average living standards and incomes in Việt Nam, they represent a dream financial opportunity. [11]

State Subsidized Housing

As property prices in major urban centers like Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City continue to rise, homeownership remains out of reach for most ordinary workers. For cybersecurity professionals, however, this burden is completely alleviated. The state provides comprehensive housing solutions, ensuring that workers can “focus on job duties with peace of mind.”

Personnel are granted free official housing or receive public subsidies for rental costs, in addition to other substantial real estate benefits.

As of August 2025, the MPS initiated four housing projects—three in Hà Nội and one in Hồ Chí Minh City—delivering around 2,750 apartments for sector personnel. This initiative is projected to expand to 19 projects by 2026, supplying an additional 21,000 apartments. [13]

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense is executing an equally ambitious initiative titled “Housing Development for Military Families,” which targets 80,000 units nationwide.

The projected demand in Hà Nội alone is 30,000 units, necessitating approximately 155 hectares of land. Consequently, the defense has already formally requested the allocation of 36 land plots from Hà Nội, totaling about 95.3 hectares. [14]

Extensive Overseas Opportunities and Family Support

Working within the state cybersecurity sector opens up substantial international prospects. Personnel in the Ministry of National Defense and the MPS frequently qualify for fully funded scholarships, overseas study programs, and active participation in global cooperation initiatives.

Furthermore, this international mobility extends to their immediate families. Spouses and children accompanying personnel abroad may receive state support designed to “stabilize their living conditions, education, and employment.”

Ultimately, the sector offers a level of international access that far exceeds ordinary professional opportunities.

Discretionary Access to State Budgets

Cybersecurity personnel also gain broad discretion over the use of state budget funds. When a funding request is classified as an “urgent situation,” superiors can authorize spending that exceeds ordinary limits via a mechanism known as “streamlined procurement and technology service contracting.” [15]

Typically, public procurement law mandates that state contracts undergo competitive bidding, public disclosure of results, and strict evaluation by the State Audit Office. However, the designation of an “urgent” or “emergency” situation allows authorities to legally bypass these standard procedural steps.

Unprecedented Access to State and Extra-Budgetary Funds

The state budget fully covers all benefits, salaries, and work-related expenses for cybersecurity personnel. These financial resources are extraordinarily vast, as the Ministry of National Defense and the MPS rank among the most heavily funded institutions within the state apparatus.

According to the proposed 2026 budget, the Ministry of National Defense is allocated 261.48 trillion đồng, whereas the MPS is designated to receive 152.19 trillion đồng for recurrent expenditures, which includes salary reform spending. [16]

This funding is functionally “classified,” with detailed spending breakdowns strictly restricted to internal agency personnel and never publicly disclosed by either ministry.

In addition to these immense state budgets, the police have instituted a specialized support fund for the development of the cybersecurity protection force to directly finance its operations and personnel.

Officially defined as “an extra-budgetary state financial fund operating on a non-profit basis,” this fund draws from state budget allocations, voluntary contributions, sponsorships, and an open-ended category designated as “other lawful sources.”

Disbursements from this fund are authorized for a wide array of activities. These include research support, scholarships, bug bounty programs (reward-based vulnerability reporting), sandbox mechanisms (controlled testing environments), and incubation programs.

Furthermore, the fund covers logistical support—such as immigration procedures, residency, work permits, and living arrangements—for overseas experts and their families when required.

The Power of Supreme Surveillance

For those fascinated by the idea of holding immense power, joining the cybersecurity force could easily fulfill that desire.

Under the banner of “coordinating cybersecurity protection,” personnel can gain access to private personal information and wield the authority to compel agencies and organizations to hand over complete technical logs, risk information, and trace data. [17]

To exercise this power, individuals only need to carry out their duties, as the Party and the state have already provided the necessary legal framework and tools to support such work.

For instance, Directive No. 57/2025 of the Secretariat, signed on Dec. 31, 2025, requires telecommunications companies, banks, and financial institutions to “establish technical connection mechanisms and rapidly, promptly provide accurate, sufficient, and clean data and electronic evidence” to the MPS and the Ministry of National Defense. [18]

Additionally, the new Law on Personal Data Protection, effective Jan. 1, 2026, allows the police to collect personal data without individual consent to “protect national security and maintain social order and safety.” [19]

Given that there are about 80 million social media users in Việt Nam, the scale of this surveillance power is enormous. [20]

The Power of Control

This position grants another formidable capability: the authority to compel service providers to delete accounts, shut down pages, or suspend the services of any business or individual exhibiting “signs of violations,” notably without requiring a prior court ruling.

Article 25 of the 2025 Cybersecurity Law, effective July 1, 2026, fully legitimizes such actions.

Under this provision, specialized cybersecurity forces require both domestic and foreign companies to remove specified content within 24 hours of a request. Authorities shrink this window to a mere three hours in cases designated as a “national security emergency.” [21]

Consequently, any business reliant on social media for promotion would have ample reason to fear this unchecked power. Survival in this environment requires individuals to stay in the good graces of these officials, often forcing them to actively seek friendship or build protective relationships.

The Power to “Wash Away” Your Mistakes

In ancient Greek mythology, the gods had two absolute privileges: they could judge mortals and they could never be judged themselves. [22] Joining the cybersecurity force essentially grants you access to both of these powers.

Once integrated into the system, personnel enjoy the privilege of effectively being able to “wash away” their wrongdoing. The security apparatus provides a legal safeguard, promising not to pursue liability for unintended risks that arise while executing duties assigned by superiors.

For example, if an officer accidentally accesses the wrong system, stores unnecessary personal data, or submits a flawed report leading to an unjust arrest, they could be entirely exempt from responsibility.

This exemption applies as long as authorities determine that the actions constituted an “unintended risk,” that procedures were followed, and that there was no “self-serving motive.”

Similarly, officials can avoid responsibility if their actions accidentally interfere with a business’s or organization’s operations. The only requirement is having written approval from a superior, confirming that the harmful act occurred while performing duties in an “urgent” or “necessary” situation.

Minimum Preparation for Entering the Profession

Entering this sector requires passing exceptionally strict vetting procedures, with a primary focus on an applicant’s background and political stance. [23]

These political screening standards extend beyond the individual to include their family. Even if a relative were classified as “politically impure” in a file dating back 30 years, competent authorities—namely, the MPS—can use that information to eliminate a candidate, regardless of their academic qualifications.

Applicants who possess a “golden background”—meaning they are the child or grandchild of someone with established connections inside the state apparatus—are effectively guaranteed an advantage in the selection process.

Conversely, those who rely solely on passion and individual merit will likely struggle to compete against candidates with these politically favorable backgrounds.

The Requirement of Absolute Obedience

Entering this role requires an understanding from the outset that security officers are expected to show absolute loyalty to the cybersecurity apparatus, even if it means compromising personal principles to complete assigned tasks.

Officers must be perpetually prepared to supply intelligence or assist in crackdowns against dissidents expressing online opinions deemed harmful by the authorities. [24]

The targets of such operations are not limited to high-profile figures; they may include a single mother like Hoàng Thị Hồng Thái, dispossessed residents from Thủ Thiêm in Hồ Chí Minh City, or ordinary citizens daring to speak out against social injustice. [25] [26]

These individual targets who face this “law enforcement” could be relatives, friends, or personal acquaintances of the officers themselves. Personnel are expected to act decisively the moment someone shares a post or comment labeled “wrongful” or “hostile” or simply follows a social media page disfavored by the authorities.

Now, let’s ask yourself this question: Are you ready to join?

Sùng Chính wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 12, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights of the English translation.