At Internet Conference, Signs of Agreement Between U.S. and Russia

Security specialists from eight countries met at a Russian-sponsored conference on Internet security to discuss their differences on how governments view cyberspace.

"The Russians have a dramatically different definition of information security than we do; it's a broader notion, and they really mean state security," says U.S. ICANN representative George Sadowsky. Russian officials note the two nations agreed to restart bilateral discussions that commenced in Washington last November.

White House cybersecurity official Christopher Painter cites substantial improvement in international law enforcement cooperation in recent years, and stresses that strong laws, trained crime investigators, and efficient global cooperation are necessary to respond to cyberspace-based challenges. For years the United States and Russia have repeatedly refused to sign cybersecurity and/or cybercrime pacts offered by either side. But there have been encouraging signs at the recent conference. In a panel discussion on computer crime, the former chief counsel of the U.S. National Security Council and an official with the Russian Interior Ministry concurred that removing anonymity is the most crucial step in fighting Internet crime.

From The New York Times
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