President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has set the task to ensure the security of critical infrastructure against cyberattacks without creating additional structures for this purpose. The Head of State announced this at a meeting on cybersecurity, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
"Globally, (perhaps it is not so characteristic for us, but nevertheless, facts exist) there is an increase in cyberattacks," the Belarusian leader noted. He specified that strategic facilities, government bodies, enterprises, and the banking system are primarily targeted. "That is, their goal is to disrupt the core life support systems of any state, including ours. This is one of the elements of hybrid warfare, a very dangerous element. The aim is to inflict maximum damage on the economy and ultimately destabilize society. This is characteristic not only for Belarus but for any state targeted by such an attack," the President emphasized.
Alexander Lukashenko recalled that responsible officials were previously instructed to submit proposals for maximum counteraction to cyberattacks on Belarusian facilities. The Operational-Analytical Centre was tasked with engaging relevant specialists and preparing appropriate proposals.
"Let's consider these proposals. But I want to warn you about creating any additional centres and structures," said the Head of State. "First, you must propose how to secure our state using our existing resources. We do not have surplus funds to have people follow each other around and observe things. Let's proceed from the fact that we have identified the objectives, we understand what cyber warfare is, what cybersecurity is. All of this is outlined in our National Security Concept. Furthermore, we must understand, and we do understand, what cyberattacks will target. Therefore, these facilities should probably be protected on-site. We will proceed from this. Instead of creating a new government, ministry, or, as is customary for us, security centres for observation. Observation of what? We need to create a security system at the facilities that would be attacked in the event of cyber warfare."
At the same time, the President noted that he was ready to hear a different point of view, if the meeting participants, including the Head of the Operational-Analytical Centre under the President, Andrei Pavlyuchenko, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Head of the Presidential Administration Igor Sergeenko, and State Secretary of the Security Council Alexander Volfovich, had one. Any opinion or proposal from those present on cybersecurity should be well-thought-out and substantiated, the Head of State emphasized: "Perhaps you have developed something else. You have worked on this for a long time, so I am ready to listen to you. But I would like you to refute what I have said, if you have a different point of view."
As Andrei Pavlyuchenko told journalists following the meeting, cybersecurity issues are an integral part of national security and are always under the President's attention. "The President set the task of developing a national cybersecurity concept," said the Head of the OAC. According to him, the President instructed to elaborate on the document in this area in detail so that it would be systemic and large-scale, cover various spheres, and meet modern challenges and threats. The OAC's Centre of Competence and qualified specialists will be involved in fulfilling this task.
Andrei Pavlyuchenko noted that Belarus has its own developments for building a national cybersecurity system, but also uses the experience of other countries. After all, in the modern world, everyone faces cyberattacks. In Belarus, logistics, transport, and energy sectors have been subjected to such attacks. Answering the question of how Belarusian services cope with such impact, Andrei Pavlyuchenko said: "It is like an eternal struggle between the projectile and the armour. There is no limit to perfection. No country in the world can say now that it has reached certain heights or the final result – we have won, we have dealt with everything, we have achieved everything. This is a continuous process. The more sophisticated the infrastructure, information and communication technologies become, the more sophisticated the attempts of entire cyber groups, cybercriminals to hack, steal data, blackmail or paralyze certain systems become."
Source: belta.by