U.S. and Russia Meet on Cybersecurity

U.S. and Russia Meet on Cybersecurity

Senior cybersecurity officials from the U.S. and Russia are holding meetings this week on cybersecurity, renewing efforts to prevent the countries from mistakenly entering into a cyber war, U.S. officials said.

The meetings, which will take place in Geneva, include officials from the White House, State Departments and FBI. The officials hope to review the cybersecurity agreement that was signed by the two countries in 2013.

The meetings are a result of the cyber attack that has crippled parts of the Ukrainian power grid in December, a breach that U.S. investigators concluded to be a first-of-its-kind confirmed cyber attack on civilian infrastructure. U.S. officials believe the Russians were behind the attack, although they have not officially attributed the attack to Russia.

Because it is hard to pinpoint the origins of a cyber attack, the fear is that a cyber attack appearing to come from the other’s territory could mistakenly lead to a real confrontation between the two countries.

The officials stress that the meetings are nothing more than reviewing the plans already put in place to build the relationships between the two countries. The U.S. made sure to include confidence-building measures into the 2013 plan, like the establishment of a hotline to allow U.S. and Russian officials to talk to each other during a cybersecurity crisis.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.