Russia to Present Proposals on International Binding Agreements on Cybersecurity

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moscow will soon present proposals on universal and binding agreements on international information security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov told Sputnik on Saturday.

"Russia has the relevant proposals [on international information security]. We intend to submit them in the near future to the international community," the diplomat said, commenting on the resolution on international information security adopted by the UN General Assembly in early December.

According to the diplomat, the resolution supports the activities of the UN Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) on security of and in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), which can serve as a platform for achieving consensus on the issue of international information security.

"This negotiating mechanism is the only one of its kind on this issue. Its key task is to prevent the information space from turning into a field of confrontation between states," Syromolotov said.

The diplomat also said that the United States stands against the work of the UN OEWG.

"It [the US] does not like the equality of states, the ability of any delegation to block any decision if it is seen as an attack on sovereignty: the OEWG is a non-alternative mechanism whose decisions our opponents have to reckon with," Syromolotov said, adding that the US is used to dictating its will, relying on its technological and financial advantages.

On December 7, the UN General Assembly adopted a draft resolution submitted by Russia on the use of ICT for peaceful purposes. The resolution, among other things, stressed the importance of creating an international ICT security system and supported OEWG's work on this issue. 

The issue of international security in the ICT environment became topical in recent years and gained momentum during the last few months. In late October, a study by the Russia's IT security company StormWall revealed that the number of DDoS attacks grew worldwide by 90% in the third quarter of 2022 compared with the same period last year, with the duration of attacks also increasing by 60%.