MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Russia knows firsthand that a number of Western governments are creating entire IT armies out of cybercriminals to wage hybrid wars, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said at the 1st International Security Forum under the auspices of the Russian Security Council.
He noted that digitalization today affects virtually all spheres of human activity, and information and communication technologies "have simultaneously become indispensable assistants and turned into tools for criminals." "Unfortunately, we must acknowledge today that the overall state of international information security has been deteriorating over the past year," Alimov said during a roundtable discussion on International Cooperation in Information Security. "We must not forget, of course, about cybercrime, the scale of which is growing each year. Some unscrupulous governments are actively recruiting cybercriminals, under the guise of so-called IT armies, to conduct hybrid operations against their adversaries."
"We in Russia know this firsthand," the Deputy Foreign Minister added. "Hackers are adopting the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, which significantly simplifies and accelerates attacks and breaches, dramatically increasing their damage. This is well known."
He clarified that the damage from cybercrime and hacker attacks amounts to billions of dollars, and that major digital technology developers "act as contractors for military departments and intelligence agencies, helping conduct reconnaissance, plan operations, and designate targets." "We are convinced that the only way to make the information space more stable, secure, and predictable is through international cooperation," Alimov stated. "No country can counter cross-border ICT threats alone," he added.
About forum
The 1st International Security Forum under the auspices of the Russian Security Council is being held from May 26 to 29 in the Moscow Region. The forum will feature the 14th annual international meeting of high-level representatives responsible for security issues, six multilateral meetings (BRICS, CIS, Russia-ASEAN, Russia-Central Asia, Russia-Sahel countries, and a briefing for African countries), 21 events in the format of roundtables, conferences, discussion panels, and strategic sessions. The forum is also featuring 25 exhibitions.
TASS is the forum’s media partner.