Russian President signed the new National Security Strategy

The new Russian National security strategy replaces the older document from 2015. Notably, the new strategy has a separate section dedicated to information security, while the previous document had only several paragraphs related to this issue.

The section sets the threat landscape for the Russian national information security as well as outlines general policy priorities to address those threats. They are, in particular:

• increased use of ICT to interfere in the internal affairs of States, undermine their sovereignty and violate territorial integrity. 
• The initiatives of the Russian Federation in the field of ensuring international information security are met with opposition from foreign states seeking to dominate the global information space.
• Increased number of computer attacks on Russian information resources carried out from territories of foreign states, as well as  activities of special services of foreign states for conducting intelligence and other operations in the Russian information space. 
• The desire of transnational corporations to consolidate their monopoly position on the Internet and control information resources are accompanied by the introduction of censorship by such corporations and the blocking of alternative Internet platforms. For political reasons, users of the Internet are being forced to take a distorted view of historical facts, as well as events taking place in the Russian Federation and in the world.
• Use of foreign ICT equipment in the Russian Federation increases the vulnerability of Russian information resources, including objects of the critical information infrastructure of the Russian Federation, to influence from abroad.

As for the policy priorities:

• create conditions for effective prevention, detection and suppression of cyber crimes 
• improving the security and stability of the Russian segment of the Internet, and other significant objects of ICT infrastructure, as well as preventing foreign control over their functioning.
• reduce to the minimum the number of personal data  leaks.
• strengthening the information security of the Armed Forces, as well as developers and manufacturers of weapons, military and special equipment.
• develop the forces and means of information warfare.
• counter the use of  Russian information infrastructure by extremist and terrorist organizations, special services and propaganda structures of foreign states for destructive information impact on citizens and society.
• improve information security by using advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence technologies and quantum computing.
• ensure  the priority use of the Russian software and ICT equipment.