Russian IT experts heard “nothing new” from a series of spying revelations by Edward Snowden, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said. Moscow plans to tackle the “existing and well known” cyber threat by manufacturing its own electronic components.
After a Monday meeting with the Russian President, Rogozin told
journalists that information revealed by the leaks was “just
the naked truth that we already knew from other
sources.”
He stressed that computer technology experts have not discovered
anything new about Washington’s scope of cyber espionage.
Instead, the whistleblower only reinforced the belief that Russia
needs to strengthen its cyber security, Rogozin said.
“This is the truth that pushes us to act and hastens the
creation of our own base of electronic components which we cannot
do without,” he said.
Furthermore, Rogozin said that the possibility of such classified
data leaks in Russia is unlikely, as an “ordinary
engineer” will never have access to such privileged
information.
“Our work is organized in a different way. We have the
Commission for Technical and Export Control and the Federal
Service for Export Control. These issues are constantly in
sight,” Rogozin told reporters, acknowledging that industrial
espionage is “advanced stuff,” but assuring that Russia
responds to it “by all possible means.”
For now, Russia is safe - but could become vulnerable if the
country becomes “dependent on foreign purchases of foreign
equipment and electronic database,” Rogozin added. “This
is a serious danger. Therefore, the question of our own
electronics, proprietary software - it is a matter of national
security.”
Rogozin acknowledged that what is happening in the field of cyber
defense is of vital importance for the country’s rearmament
process as “foreign machinery comes with the firmware”
that may share certain information in stealth mode. “This
question is not even the question of information, but of national
security,” he said.
Rogozin was appointed deputy prime minister in charge of the
defense industry in 2011 and concentrated his efforts on the
development of defense enterprises. He reassured that in
sensitive areas - such as the navy, air force and armored
vehicles and space - Russia will rely on its own electronic
components base.
NSA leaker Edward Snowden revealed a number of details regarding
US intelligence gathering and analyzing programs, including the
notorious PRISM, but Russian officials have on several occasions
refuted speculations that Snowden was debriefed by Russian
intelligence services after his arrival in Moscow from Hong Kong
on June 23.
Meanwhile, the whistleblower is still stuck in Moscow’s
Sheremetyevo airport awaiting a decision on his temporary asylum
request.