MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. The United States, Britain and EU countries go to great lengths in resisting the idea the production of malware should be recognized as a crime, the deputy director of Russia’s National Coordination Center for Computer Incidents, Nikolai Murashov, told a news briefing on Tuesday.

"As a matter of fact, no bans exist on the production of such malware whatever country one may look at. Moreover US, British and EU representatives at international forums devoted to international information security firmly oppose the adoption of any recommendations for criminalizing such activity," he said.

Murashov recalled that according to experts one in eight software vulnerabilities was critical or highly dangerous.

"The costs such vulnerabilities are fraught with rest heavily upon our shoulders. In most cases the manufactures are not responsible for the reliability and safety of their products. The public at large is told that extra research into security will be a hindrance on market development, while for users innovations are far more important," he said.

Murashov said that the existence of vulnerabilities was the basis for the development of computer malware.

"Professionals will confirm the principle: ‘no vulnerabilities - no computer attacks.’ In the current situation an international ban on the development of malware might be a major step forward in enhancing users’ security," he said. "This is precisely what Russia has done. Under Article 273 of the Criminal Code creation of computer malware constitutes an offense. Sadly, very few countries have followed our example.".