Putin urges closer international cybersecurity cooperation

President Vladimir Putin today called for closer international cooperation in fending off cyberattacks.

Addressing a cybersecurity conference in Moscow, Putin said it's important to develop common cybersecurity standards that take into account interests of all nations. He noted that cyberthreats have mounted around the world.

"Cyberthreats have reached such a scale that they could only be neutralised by combined efforts of the entire international community," Putin said.

"We have repeatedly seen that some nations' egoism, their attempts to act squarely to their own advantages, hurt the global information stability," he added without specifying.

Putin pointed at Russia pooling efforts with European nations to work out an agreed mechanism of protection of personal data rules, citing it as a positive example of international cooperation.

The Russian leader didn't address allegations that government-sponsored Russian hackers have meddled in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections. Moscow has strongly denied interfering in the vote.

Putin noted that the number of cyberattacks on Russia has increased by one-third in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the same period last year.

He said Russia would work to develop an automated system facilitating information exchange between businesses and law enforcement agencies to help enhance cybersecurity.