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Russia determines measures to fight cybercrime

The work is in progress on legislation concerning the security of personal data, and classification of widely spread socially dangerous encroachments in the Internet as offences entailing criminal punishment

MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. Russian Prosecutor-General's Office in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies has determined measures that are expected to help resist the growing tide of cybercrime, the chief of the PGO's organization and analysis department, Andrei Nekrasov, has told TASS in an interview.

"Bearing in mind the extreme urgency of the issue in question and insufficient effectiveness of work in this field the chiefs of law enforcement agencies gathered for a coordination conference under the chairmanship of the prosecutor-general in July last year to discuss the results of efforts on this track. A number of concrete measures was formulated for improving the methods and means of exposing and investigating cybercrimes and preventing them," Nekrasov said.

High on the agenda is more vigorous preventive work with cyberspace entities taking part, as well as the creation of extra means of constant monitoring of cyberspace to prevent the spreading of outlawed content and violations of citizens' rights in the consumer sector.

Alongside this, amendments will have to be made to the regulatory base.

"This concerns terminology, the unification of legal provisions and greater responsibility for committed offences," Nekrasov said.

He said work was in progress on legislation concerning the security of personal data, and classification of widely spread socially dangerous encroachments in the Internet as offences entailing criminal punishment. Steps are being taken to perfect procedural legislation with the aim of introducing high technologies for collecting and using evidence in investigating and solving cybercrimes. The Prosecutor-General's Office believes it is essential to focus efforts on training skilled personnel, enhancing the export potential and improving methodologies matching modern trends. For interaction in the field of struggle against cybercrime an inter-departmental working group was created for resistance to cybercrime.

International cooperation

The struggle against cybercrime requires more active international cooperation.

"These crimes are very often trans-border ones. For this reason effective measures are required in the field of international cooperation by the agencies concerned to expose and terminate the activity of resources being used for trafficking weapons, drugs and other prohibited arms and services and also for blocking access to them," Nekrasov said. "Systematic monitoring is needed of the condition of cybercrime not only in Russia, but elsewhere to enable the legislators and law enforcers to timely introduce amendments to legislation and departmental bylaws with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of struggle against such offences.".