Putin decree aims to shore up Internet security

Vladimir Putin has issued a decree, 'On Measures to Ensure Information Security for the Russian Federation.' According to the president's press service, the decree is meant to protect the Russian segment of the Internet, particularly government computer networks, from external threats, including from those who might seek to obtain government information for terrorist purposes.

The decree is expected to lead to heightened defenses of government information networks against computer viruses, which can cause costly damage to government and private sectors that are heavily computer dependent. The new measures are also intended to protect classified government information.