Belarus’ KGB concerned about radical websites

New destructive information resources continuously appear on the Internet, Chairman of the Belarusian State Security Committee Valery Vakulchik said in his address to the Council of the Republic on 18 December, BelTA has learned.

“New destructive information resources, such as websites of radical groups and terrorist organizations continuously appear on the Internet. Ill-minded people fully use the opportunities provided by the global information space,” Valery Vakulchik noted.

He said that the number of high-tech crimes increases each year. With reference to the UN statistics, Valery Vakulchik informed that more than 1.5 million people fall victims to Internet criminals annually. Besides, experts estimate the material damage caused by cybercrimes at up to $1 trillion per year.

“Today the situation in the international arena is characterized by the increasing importance of information and information technologies in the life of the society and the state. However, the positive effects of informatization are accompanied by the growing number of challenges and threats. Such terms as information terrorism, information crime and information weapons have already come into general use. This is our daily reality and it requires the best efforts from our law enforcement agencies and special services,” Valery Vakulchik pointed out.

He presented the draft law on the ratification of the agreement between the Belarusian and Russian governments on international information security to the Council of the Republic. The document was signed in Moscow in December 2013 and is aimed at developing the bilateral cooperation in international information security, creating the relevant legal and organizational framework for cooperation, and countering the threats to the international information security.

Plans have been made to hold regular bilateral consultations that will discuss the status of implementation of the agreement, analyze and evaluate the emerging information security threats, adjust and coordinate the joint measures to counter such threats.

The Council of the Republic approved the ratification of the agreement.