The ways to protect the country and its technologies from cyber threats were discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA

The role of cybersecurity is growing amid current challenges, when the resilience of digital platforms, effective import substitution and the introduction of new technologies (AI, Big Data) are becoming critically important for industry development and national security. This was the conclusion reached by experts of the session "Cybersecurity in the Era of Digital Platforms and Innovation", which took place on 12 November at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the IT forum "Digital Solutions 2025".

"Information security is a comprehensive field, and if a weak link appears somewhere, the entire system suffers – sometimes even more seriously than in other areas. Protection must accompany the entire life cycle of any information system. The state must ensure security at every stage of the information life cycle. We analysed what is sufficient and what is still lacking in terms of regulation, technologies and organisational aspects. Technologies are always a constant struggle, the regulatory framework is not yet perfect, and organisational issues also have shortcomings," said Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation Alexander Shoitov.

He explained that work on information security is organised in stages: first, risks and hazardous events are identified, taking into account the operation of technologies and threats known only to the state. Then protection and monitoring are designed, balancing security and functionality, considering the specific sector and with the involvement of specialists. After that, protection is managed and risks are monitored, while reducing human error through training or automation. Finally, systems are checked, vulnerabilities eliminated, tests conducted, modernisation carried out and risks insured, Alexander Shoitov noted.

"Cybercriminals do not stand still and constantly look for new ways to breach the protection of enterprises. The logic of the risk-based approach is simple: all resources – including human and financial – are directed towards solving specific tasks, which makes protection more effective. Speaking of security, today we have several laws in force: Federal Law No. 152 on Personal Data, Federal Law No. 149 on Information Protection, and Federal Law No. 187 on the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure. This is the basic minimum we have put in place. We have also tightened liability for personal data leaks by introducing criminal liability and turnover-based fines for the unlawful circulation of personal data," said Member of the Federation Council Artyom Sheykin.

He added that close cooperation is now being established between the state and businesses. Only joint work makes it possible to create effective mechanisms that support industry development, bring tangible benefits and ensure stronger national protection against any cyber threats.

"The future is already here – it is just unevenly distributed. Unfortunately, this means that different organisations are at different stages of maturity. We are seeing supply chain attacks not because people do not want to protect themselves or do not understand how to do it, but because some infrastructures are outdated and there is a lack of funding in others. Against this backdrop, the shared task is to understand how to help all organisations," said Vice President for Business Development in Russia and the CIS at Kaspersky Lab Anna Kulashova.

She noted that in the summer of 2025 there was a sharp increase in attacks on industrial facilities: they occurred every three minutes. Recovery after such incidents requires the transfer of best practices and the introduction of comprehensive protective solutions. Modern tools, including artificial intelligence, can play a significant role here. The Vice President of Kaspersky Lab stressed that today the key challenge is lowering the entry threshold for ensuring security. Modern tools, including artificial intelligence, can help achieve this. At the same time, hackers are increasingly using AI to build attack vectors, which simplifies access for them, but similar technologies can significantly facilitate defence. Legislative measures should also be considered: the creation of anonymised platforms for testing and scanning vulnerabilities using modern tools reduces the impact of the human factor, increases trust in testing and lowers the cost of protection processes, Anna Kulashova added.

The Information Technology Forum "Digital Solutions" is being held by the Ministry of Digital Development for the first time with the support of the Government. The event brings together leading representatives of the Russian IT industry and government authorities for dialogue across all areas of digital transformation. In total, more than 90 sessions are scheduled as part of the business programme, which will take place from 12 to 15 November, with more than 600 speakers participating.