Russia Considering to Setting up a Dedicated Cyber Security Command

The Russian government is considering setting up a dedicated cyber-security command, responsible for protecting the armed forces information systems, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday.

"We are currently discussing the question of setting up a Cyber Security Command," said Rogozin, who has responsibility for Russia's military-industrial complex. "This is in connection with guaranteeing information for the armed forces, and also the state infrastructure as a whole," he said.

Rogozin said that Russia would follow the steps of the US and NATO as a whole aimed at staving off the growing threat of cyber attacks on vital military communications networks.

NATO was one of the first to announce a cyber defense policy package in response to cyber attacks against Estonia in 2007.

In May 2008, seven NATO nations and the Allied Command Transformation signed the documents for the formal establishment of a Cooperative Cyber Defense (CCD) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Tallinn, Estonia.

On June 8, 2011, NATO Defense Ministers adopted a new cyber defense policy. The new policy focuses on prevention of cyber attacks and building resilience. The policy clarifies political and operational mechanisms of NATO’s response to cyber attack and integrates cyber defense into NATO’s Defense Planning Process.

Rogozin also confirmed on Wednesday that the government had prepared a draft bill on the establishment of an advanced military research agency, similar to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the United States, and would submit it to the parliament in the near future.

Rianovosti