Putin to discuss threats to national security in information sphere

President Vladimir Putin, together with the members of Russia's Security Council, will discuss Wednesday the problems of counteraction to threats to national security in the information sphere, including the question of how to prevent limitations on the operation of the Russian segment of the Internat /Runet/, the presidential press service reported.

A Kremlin official pointed out, "The session's agenda includes items concerning not only the safety of information resources of governmental bodies at various levels, but also a steady functioning of the Russian segment of the Internet, specifically ruling out the possibility of some limitations on the freedom of citizens' and organizations' access to it".
The Security Council of the Russian Federation intends to renew approaches to the accomplishment of the basic tasks of the National Security Strategy and the Information Secuirty Doctrine with due regard fo the rapid development of information and communication technologies in the world.
Nikolai Nikiforov said earlier that Russian authorities were preparing a plan of activities if Western counrtries try to block Russia's access to the Internet.
"We are working out scenarios in case our respected partners suddenly decide to disconnect the Internet from us," he pointed out.
A number of steps have been already taken to ensure information security in Russia. In particular, in July the President signed a law making it binding on postal services and social networks to place the personal data on Russia's users exclusively on servers in Russia's territory, effective from September 1, 2016.
Putin had earlier come out in favour of servers themselves, browsers and postal services, in particular, being located in Russia. "Of course, this can and must be done. This requires time and capital inputs," he pointed out. "/At present/ Everything goes via servers which are in the States and everything there is monitored," he said, recalling that originally the Internet system had been devised by the United State, and at the first stage this was a project of the US Central Intelligence Agency.
The Head of State pointed out that Russian companies seek to develop their own hardware, software, and dataware in Russia. "Our companies were short of enough free resource for such capital investments; it is emerging and the process began," he noted. "I hope that it will develop intensively and rapidly enough, and will ensure our interests," Putin added. "Servers must be transferred and information must be protected," he summarized.