Information security from the Urals to Moscow

The Industrial Cybersecurity Club (ICS-Club), established by Norilsk Nickel celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. The ICS-Club unites the heads of information security of the largest industrial companies in Russia and has long become a recognized platform for discussing topical issues of cybersecurity, sharing experience, best practices for protecting industrial information systems and critical information infrastructure.

On May 26, the first regional meeting of the ICS-Club took place in Yekaterinburg. "It was not by chance that we chose the capital of Ural. A large number of industrial companies are concentrated in the Ural region, and they are, no less than their colleagues from Moscow, concerned about the information security of their enterprises, and have unique experience and expertise," noted Dmitry Grigoriev, Director of the ICS-Club, Director of Department on Analytic, Information and IT-Infrastructure Protection of Norilsk Nickel. "Expanding the geography of ICS-Club-members is an important and logical stage of development for our organization. It will benefit all participants, we are all in the "same boat" regardless of the region of our operation," he added.

The agenda of the meeting was broad. Alexey Novikov and Sergey Korelov, representatives of the National Computer Incident Response and Coordination Center, shared the experience of computer incidents response in the current situation. The report caused an active discussion among the participants — the conditions in which the information security specialists have to work have markedly changed: the number of attacks has multiplied, which has led to tightening of regulatory requirements and adoption of new legal acts.

Representatives of FSUE "NPP "Gamma" reported on the topic "Monitoring of categorization of critical information infrastructure objects". In the context of rapidly changing regulation in the sphere of information security, companies need explanations and guidelines — the ICS-Club provides an opportunity to build a pragmatic open dialogue between business and regulators. In today's difficult realities, this is extremely important for both sides.

The head of the Computer Systems Laboratory of the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ph.D., Professor Ruslan Smelyansky shared his thoughts on concept of the computer of the future. And Professor of the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics of Lomonosov Moscow State University, PhD Pavel Pilyugin presented a comparative analysis of approaches to ensuring information security of critical information infrastructure.

Other reports on the results of the assessment of cyber threats for maritime cargo transportation and ships, as well as on the use of Private LTE networks in industry, were of practical value to the participants.

Prior to the meeting, at the invitation of the management of the Ural Federal University named after Boris Yeltsin, Dmitry Grigoriev and Elena Zinovieva, Deputy Director of the Center for International Information Security, Science and Technology Policy of MGIMO University (Moscow) gave a lecture on business approaches and state policy in the field of international information security (IIS). "The topic of international information security is of particular interest to the ICS-Club, which is one of the founders of the National Association for International Information Security (NAIIS). Norilsk Nickel, in turn, being a high-tech and innovative company, also pays great attention to issues of international cooperation in the field of IIS," commented Dmitry Grigoriev, - "We have a long-standing partnership with MGIMO University - Nornickel’s academic department of "Corporate Security" functions at the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy of MGIMO University, within its framework a academic course of lectures on certain aspects of international information security is being taught".