Infoforum 2020, the largest information security event in Russia, is taking place in Moscow on January 30–31. The forum is attended by officials and leading Russian experts on information security, the fight against cybercrime, and the design of information security systems.
The Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ is the official partner of the section “Internet: Concepts and Solutions to Ensure the Safe Functioning of the Internet and International Cooperation in Information Security.” The center’s experts took an active part in it. The section was moderated by Coordination Center Director Andrey Vorobyev and Vice President at Citadel Group of Companies and co-chair of the forum’s Organizing Committee, Boris Miroshnikov.
In his opening remarks, Andrey Vorobyev presented research on the internet development trends in Russia and abroad carried out by the Higher School of Economics at the request of the Coordination Center. The online version of the analytic report based on this research has been already published on the Coordination Center’s website, and Andrey Vorobyev invited the audience to look through it.
Head of the Coordination Center’s Department of External Communications Mikhail Anisimov spoke about the main trends and projects in international cooperation in the area of cybersecurity. He noted that today not just governments but also other interested communities, including businesses and academic communities, are responsible for the stability of internet functioning, which is an important trend for the entire internet. “The influence of large companies on the technological and infrastructural components of the network is growing rapidly. However, the main international documents, including the ICANN five-year strategic plan, stress that de facto governments still have the leading role,” Mikhail Anisimov said.
Anisimov also spoke in detail about the report of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC) established at the initiative of the UN Secretary-General. This report was presented in November 2019 at the Internet Governance Forum in Berlin, and, among other things, listed the proposed norms for state and non-state actors. The list of norms includes prevention of activities that damage the general availability or integrity of the public core of the internet, and therefore the stability of cyberspace; and that intend to disrupt the technical infrastructure essential to elections, referenda or plebiscites. The commission called for prohibiting tampering with products and services and commandeering the general public’s ICT resources for use as botnets or for similar purposes, as well as for the timely disclosure of vulnerabilities the actors are aware of. The report also noted that states should enact appropriate measures, including laws and regulations, to ensure basic cyber hygiene. Another important point in the report specifies that non-state actors should not engage in offensive cyber operations and state actors should prevent such activities and respond if they occur.
In addition, Mikhail Anisimov outlined the current international initiatives aimed at protecting the domain space from information threats, such as the DAAR project or the development of a global DDoS detection and alert system.
Andrey Vorobyev explained how the improvement of digital skills helps to ensure cybersecurity. He noted that the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ is implementing a series of projects aimed at improving the digital literacy of Russian internet users of all ages, from kindergartners to the elderly. The center’s initiatives include the Digital Dictation attended by over 70,000 people from all across Russia in 2019. “The dictation showed serious gaps in knowledge, first of all on information security: sometimes even computer science teachers didn’t know the right answers,” Andrey Vorobyev said. He called for a sustainable education policy at the state level and for lessons on digital literacy to be added to the school curriculum.
In conclusion, Boris Miroshnikov congratulated the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ and all the participants in the session on the anniversary of .RU ccTLD, while Andrey Vorobyev awarded all the speakers with framed souvenir stamps issued to mark the 25th anniversary of the .RU top-level domain.
