Russian President Vladimir Putin has banned Russian government bodies and state companies from using data protection software created in “unfriendly countries,” a presidential decree published on the Kremlin website reads.
Russia’s list of “unfriendly countries” includes the United States and Canada, the EU states, the UK, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, Albania, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, North Macedonia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Micronesia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan (considered a territory of China, but ruled by its own administration since 1949).
The decree says that Russian government bodies and a number of state companies must stop using data protection software from “unfriendly states” by January 1, 2025.
The Russian leader also ordered to establish departments aimed to “detect, prevent and eliminate the consequences of computer attacks and respond to computer incidents.” Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) will accredit these departments. Besides, the new decree allows FSB employees to have “unrestricted access (including remote access)” to websites used by government bodies or state companies in order to monitor their activity.
