President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia prevented nearly 500 spies to breach into the official systems in 2017 and convinced the Federal Security Service (FSB) to enhance the cybersecurity efforts and take measures to protect and strengthen the security of secret and confidential communications.
On March 5, Putin spoke about the issue to one of the senior FSB officials at a meeting, it was less than a couple of weeks ahead of the elections which appears positive hind him over a 6-year term.
His remarks were taken by the United States as Russia’s efforts to use cyber-attacks and issues such as cyber security and threats to sow discord internationally and interfere in the foreign elections.
Putin was of the view that in the recent years, there has been an evident increase in the activity of foreign intelligence agencies. But the critics still accuse Putin of using the official meetings to conduct a campaign ahead of March 18 vote.
He also said that the agencies of foreign nature are plotting against Russia very diligently by using the most advanced methods such as spy craft and technical espionage means. He told that last year, the suspicious activities of 72 career intelligence officers and 397 such agents of the foreign spy services were thwarted and made unsuccessful.
This showed the concerns that Putin seemed to have regarding the cyber-security in his own country and how it is being used by foreign spy agencies to get access to information and credentials through unfair means.
Putin’s popularity among his people, his hold over the levers of power, and what critics have to say about him has been years of small steps to dominate dissent and marginalize opponents virtually ensure and guarantee his victory in the election.
Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-urges-cybersecurity-fsb/29079820.html