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Russian telecoms minister expects no rise in cyberattacks ahead of 2018 presidential polls

He said that Russia has always paid special attention to information security

Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov Yegor Aleyev/TASS

Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov

© Yegor Aleyev/TASS

MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov expects no increase in cyber security threats in the run-up to the 2018 presidential elections in Russia.

He said that Russia has always paid special attention to information security.

"I would not link any increase in (cyber) threats with the election day. The Russian Federation and its state bodies in particular have always been a tempting target, so this would be a standard situation for us rather than a special event," Nikiforov said in an interview with Rossiya 24.

The minister added that although new threats emerge regularly, new security features are also being developed on a regular basis.

Mikhail Oseyevsky, the president of the Russian telecom holding Rostelecom, earlier said that his company, together with Russian security services, was preparing to repel possible attacks on video surveillance system at polling stations during the March 18, 2018 presidential election in Russia.

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