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GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA DOES NOTHING TO PROTECT INTERNET USERS
Rapid development of information technologies in Armenia and wide
penetration of Internet into our everyday lives besides doubtless
advantages has become a source of new danger called "information
threats." Problems in this field have grown global. Therefore, focusing
on information security has become a vital necessity for Armenia. Vice
President of Internet Society of Armenia Grigory Saghyan speaks of
the problem of virtual aggression in Armenia and the measures to meet
challenges in the field in an interview with ArmInfo.
by Gayane Isahakyan
Thursday, November 7, 18:10
Mr. Saghyan, Azerbaijan is behind 73% of web-hackings in Armenia,
according to the survey conducted by K Gasparyan, expert in cyber
security. Turkey' share in total web hackings in Armenia is 5%,
another 4% of hackings come from Germany. It is not news. Why don't
these trends change over time?
This is because the government does nothing to protect users. The idea
of information security is certainly distorted in the post-Soviet
countries. It is usually connected with the content. In Armenia,
information security comes down to the fight against anti-Armenian
propaganda, while information security implies uninterrupted operation
of the network, first of all, and prevention and liquidation of
the consequences of software attacks and a range of other technical
measures. A comprehensive program is needed to constantly upgrade
the qualification of Internet users through teaching how to install
anti-virus programs and avoid using unlicensed software. We have
introduced such initiative. The program should involve public
organizations, secondary and higher educational establishments.
Armenian IT-experts say the Law On Personal Data needs updating. Why?
The law "On personal data" is rather liberal and needs updating.
There is no relevant regulatory body in Armenia.
The persons and structures, which deal with updating of personal data,
must be controlled in some way. Moreover, the acting legislation
does not foresee requirements for these persons. This is necessary
for maximal safety and for ruling out information leak.
Internet Society recommends Armenian users to use strong
cryptography...
Internet Society public organization recommends Armenian users to
usenamely PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).
It is a very good free program used in message encryption and
e-signatures. Strong cryptography helps protecting users against
hacking and penetrations by cyber swindlers. However, it creates
problems for the law-enforcers, as they fail to decode messages
operatively when investigation of crimes necessitates sanctioned
bugging of messages. Expediency of strong cryptography is still a
subject of debates in the world. Some countries have banned strong
cryptography, but criminals often ignore bans while ordinary citizens
are more prone to cyber-attacks and penetrations.
I'd like to add that when issuing new IT cards, the Government of
Armenia implies that every user will receive an e-signature from the
E-Governance Infrastructure Implementation Unit (EKENG). It will cost
them 5,000-7,000 drams a year.
Meanwhile, some other questions arise i.e. will citizens of Armenia
use exclusively this system or will they be able to have also other
systems? If we are obliged to use to use only this system, this
function must be laid on a state organization and not a CJSC.
According to a survey conducted at the request of Internet Society of
Armenia among 1,474 internet users all over Armenia, 27.7% of website
owners in Armenia prefer hosting providers from the United States,
26.1% Russians, 20% Europeans, 15.4% locals. Only 7.7% have own or
corporate websites. Why foreign hosting is preferred in Armenia?
Foreign hostings are safer. Local hosting providers spread
anti-governmental and anti-oligarchic articles and are therefore
controlled by the police, while foreign hosting providers have higher
capacities and require proofs to give access to their materials. In
addition, possibilities of local hosting providers are restricted.
According to the same survey, 32% of Armenians use the Armenian
language in the Internet. 28% use English, 26% use Russian. Does it
mean that many users just know no foreign language?
"This mostly means that 32% of our Internet users do not speak any
other languages. But if we don't have enough specialists to ensure
the translation of the world's intellectual legacy into Armenian,
we have to choose between English and Russian as a second language.
IT-development in Armenia necessitated creation of .hay domain
extension? When it will be available?
It will take us four years to create .hay domain extension (in Armenian
letters). It will be an important step for Internet in Armenia. This
project is being discussed with the public. We have not yet received
any negative response but we yet have to consult with all concerned
parties.
According to a survey conducted by the Society, 22.7% of website
owners in Armenia prefer .am, 22.3% .com, 17.4% .ru, 8.6% .net, 7.8%
.org, 6.2% .info, 5.2% .biz and 4.7% .co.
Thank you.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=B36759A0-47BE-11E3-A54B0EB7C0D21663
Rapid development of information technologies in Armenia and wide
penetration of Internet into our everyday lives besides doubtless
advantages has become a source of new danger called "information
threats." Problems in this field have grown global. Therefore, focusing
on information security has become a vital necessity for Armenia. Vice
President of Internet Society of Armenia Grigory Saghyan speaks of
the problem of virtual aggression in Armenia and the measures to meet
challenges in the field in an interview with ArmInfo.
by Gayane Isahakyan
Thursday, November 7, 18:10
Mr. Saghyan, Azerbaijan is behind 73% of web-hackings in Armenia,
according to the survey conducted by K Gasparyan, expert in cyber
security. Turkey' share in total web hackings in Armenia is 5%,
another 4% of hackings come from Germany. It is not news. Why don't
these trends change over time?
This is because the government does nothing to protect users. The idea
of information security is certainly distorted in the post-Soviet
countries. It is usually connected with the content. In Armenia,
information security comes down to the fight against anti-Armenian
propaganda, while information security implies uninterrupted operation
of the network, first of all, and prevention and liquidation of
the consequences of software attacks and a range of other technical
measures. A comprehensive program is needed to constantly upgrade
the qualification of Internet users through teaching how to install
anti-virus programs and avoid using unlicensed software. We have
introduced such initiative. The program should involve public
organizations, secondary and higher educational establishments.
Armenian IT-experts say the Law On Personal Data needs updating. Why?
The law "On personal data" is rather liberal and needs updating.
There is no relevant regulatory body in Armenia.
The persons and structures, which deal with updating of personal data,
must be controlled in some way. Moreover, the acting legislation
does not foresee requirements for these persons. This is necessary
for maximal safety and for ruling out information leak.
Internet Society recommends Armenian users to use strong
cryptography...
Internet Society public organization recommends Armenian users to
usenamely PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).
It is a very good free program used in message encryption and
e-signatures. Strong cryptography helps protecting users against
hacking and penetrations by cyber swindlers. However, it creates
problems for the law-enforcers, as they fail to decode messages
operatively when investigation of crimes necessitates sanctioned
bugging of messages. Expediency of strong cryptography is still a
subject of debates in the world. Some countries have banned strong
cryptography, but criminals often ignore bans while ordinary citizens
are more prone to cyber-attacks and penetrations.
I'd like to add that when issuing new IT cards, the Government of
Armenia implies that every user will receive an e-signature from the
E-Governance Infrastructure Implementation Unit (EKENG). It will cost
them 5,000-7,000 drams a year.
Meanwhile, some other questions arise i.e. will citizens of Armenia
use exclusively this system or will they be able to have also other
systems? If we are obliged to use to use only this system, this
function must be laid on a state organization and not a CJSC.
According to a survey conducted at the request of Internet Society of
Armenia among 1,474 internet users all over Armenia, 27.7% of website
owners in Armenia prefer hosting providers from the United States,
26.1% Russians, 20% Europeans, 15.4% locals. Only 7.7% have own or
corporate websites. Why foreign hosting is preferred in Armenia?
Foreign hostings are safer. Local hosting providers spread
anti-governmental and anti-oligarchic articles and are therefore
controlled by the police, while foreign hosting providers have higher
capacities and require proofs to give access to their materials. In
addition, possibilities of local hosting providers are restricted.
According to the same survey, 32% of Armenians use the Armenian
language in the Internet. 28% use English, 26% use Russian. Does it
mean that many users just know no foreign language?
"This mostly means that 32% of our Internet users do not speak any
other languages. But if we don't have enough specialists to ensure
the translation of the world's intellectual legacy into Armenian,
we have to choose between English and Russian as a second language.
IT-development in Armenia necessitated creation of .hay domain
extension? When it will be available?
It will take us four years to create .hay domain extension (in Armenian
letters). It will be an important step for Internet in Armenia. This
project is being discussed with the public. We have not yet received
any negative response but we yet have to consult with all concerned
parties.
According to a survey conducted by the Society, 22.7% of website
owners in Armenia prefer .am, 22.3% .com, 17.4% .ru, 8.6% .net, 7.8%
.org, 6.2% .info, 5.2% .biz and 4.7% .co.
Thank you.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=B36759A0-47BE-11E3-A54B0EB7C0D21663