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Putin orders strengthening cyber-security
January 21, 2013, 2:54 pm

computer virus

Putin wants a unified governmental system that will detect and prevent cyber-attacks. [AP]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has tasked the Federal Security Service (FSB) with the creation of a system preventing and detecting cyber-attacks against information resources in Russia.

FSB is now authorised to define the information-sharing schemes between the federal organs and international organizations.

It will also assess the degree of protection of Russia’s information infrastructure, and advise on security issues.

Putin’s decree defines information resources as “information systems and info-telecommunication networks based in the Russian Federation and in diplomatic missions and consulates abroad.”

In summer 2012, Russia’s Defense Council published a document that defined the priorities of the country’s crucial infrastructural elements internet security.

The document stipulates creation of a unified governmental system that will detect and prevent cyber-attacks.

Thus the President’s order shows the consistence of the government’s policy.

Among the negative factors of the security systems’ creation the authors of the decree site the need to involve foreign suppliers, the tendency of the governmental bodies to conceal the way their system operate, as well as the low level of professionalism of the employees of these structures.

Thus cyber security is slated to be solved in five dimensions: legal grounds, governmental management, industrial issues and technological policy, and personnel issues.

Recently the Kaspersky Lab discovered a powerful virus called “Red October”, that infected governmental and private websites, and the majority of the affected computer systems were based in Russia. The virus had access to sensitive documents and data of high importance.

With inputs from agencies