Building a military cryptographic force that meets mission requirements

After nearly 80 years of building, fighting and growing, from the initial cryptographic organization with a few officers and employees, up to now, the Army's cryptographic branch has developed into a synchronous, widespread system, ensuring information confidentiality to serve leaders and commanders at all levels throughout the army.

Promoting the tradition of "Loyalty, dedication, solidarity, discipline, creativity", the whole industry is striving to build a strong, compact, and elite key force, moving straight towards modernity, meeting well the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

Overcoming difficulties and hardships to grow up

Born just 10 days after the founding of the country (September 12, 1945), the cryptography industry, together with the army and people of the whole country, urgently prepared and entered the resistance war against the French colonialists. Following the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh : "Cryptography must be secret, fast, accurate... you guys working on cryptography must be secret and united", the CYQD industry overcame difficulties, overcame hardships, gradually built a unified cryptographic organization system, and formed a large cryptographic communication network nationwide.

Leaders of the Cipher Department inspect the security of information systems on Coast Guard ships. Photo: NAM SAU

Through combat practice, the CYQD sector quickly grasped the forms of combat, gradually improved the quality, efficiency, and management level; built and consolidated the organization and staff, perfected the regulations and working regime of the sector; clearly identified the "essentially confidential" nature, selected, trained, and arranged the use of cadres and employees closely, and excellently completed the task of ensuring the confidentiality of leadership and command information in the resistance war against French colonialism, the peak of which was the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.

To meet the requirements of the resistance war against the US to save the country, in March 1961, the Ministry of National Defense decided to upgrade the Cipher Department to the Cipher Department under the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. To deploy a synchronous and unified cipher organization system from the Central to the grassroots level, the Cipher Department researched and proposed to the Ministry of National Defense to develop the cipher organization and staff in military regions, army corps, military branches, arms and general departments with hundreds of units and thousands of officers and employees.

In 1968, implementing the Politburo's Resolution on "transferring the revolutionary war in the South to a new period, a period of decisive victory", the CYQD sector quickly developed the organization of forces and cryptographic technical means to serve the fight against the destructive war in the North and the General Offensive and Uprising in the South; rapidly trained and mobilized thousands of Northern cryptographic officers and staff to reinforce Southern units.

After the Paris Agreement (January 1973), key organizations were established in the army corps (1, 2, 3, 4); closed from the corps command headquarters to the divisions, brigades, regiments, and battalions; at the same time, promoting recruitment and training of thousands of cadres and staff to serve the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising.

During the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, the entire sector translated tens of millions of telegrams, ensuring the leadership, direction and command of the Party, State and Army were smooth, secret, accurate and timely in all situations, contributing significantly to the great victory of the nation. Next, the sector ensured the key for hundreds of units and thousands of communication points in the war to protect the southwestern border, the northern border, protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands and successfully completed the international mission to help Laos and Cambodia.

During the resistance wars and battles to protect the Fatherland, more than 700 officers, employees and soldiers of the cryptography sector heroically sacrificed their lives and thousands of people left their blood and bones on the battlefield; 7 groups and 1 individual of the Army's cryptography sector were awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

Developing the Army's cryptography industry in the new era

Implementing the resolutions, directives and conclusions of the Party and the Central Military Commission on building and developing the military intelligence sector to meet the requirements and tasks in the new period and the Law on Cryptography, in recent years, the work of managing and building the military intelligence sector has been regularly focused on by Party committees, commanders and cryptographic agencies at all levels, leading, directing and organizing effective implementation, well meeting the requirements of the tasks. The organization, staffing and titles of cryptographers at all levels have been consolidated and improved in accordance with the command and organization system of the Army, ensuring unity throughout the army. The Cryptographic Department has advised, proposed to the Ministry of National Defense and coordinated the implementation of the project to establish a College of Cryptography Engineering; opened new college levels, completed infrastructure investment projects, trained and developed, standardized the staff and lecturers, improved the quality of human resource training, and met the requirements of modernizing the cryptographic sector.

Party committees and commanders at all levels always thoroughly grasp and implement the regulations of the superiors on the management of cadres, employees and students; advise the superiors to issue documents to improve the quality of management work and build the industry's forces. Well implement the regulations on cadre work of the Central Military Commission on professional sectors participating in cadre management; strictly comply with the regulations on review, selection for training, recruitment as well as dismissal from the industry. Promote propaganda, emulation and reward work associated with the implementation of regimes and policies for cadres and employees.

To successfully complete the tasks in the new situation, the Cipher Department in particular, and the military intelligence sector in general, continue to thoroughly grasp the directives and resolutions of the above, focus on implementing the modernization project, building and developing the sector to move straight towards modernity; proactively grasp the situation, advise and propose to the General Staff, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defense on the cryptographic work of the entire army. Focus on building and consolidating the organizational system in accordance with the requirements and tasks of the Army. Synchronously deploy solutions to improve the qualifications and capacity of the team of cryptographic officers and employees, especially in the selection, training and fostering stages; prioritize highly qualified research officers, master science and technology, exploit and use modern cryptographic technology. Focus on building Party committees and organizations that are strong in politics, ideology, organization, ethics and cadres, building comprehensively strong cryptographic agencies and units that are "exemplary and typical", receiving and completing all assigned tasks well.

Colonel NGUYEN VAN THU, Deputy Director of the Cipher Department, General Staff

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Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/xay-dung-luc-luong-co-yeu-quan-doi-dap-ung-tot-yeu-cau-nhiem-vu-832661