Red telephone installed for cyber-threats between US and Russia

The White House has announced that Russia and the US are planning to improve sharing of info about cyber-threats in order to minimize the risk of a crisis and build trust. A working group will assess threats and propose countermeasures. Based on the system already in place to prevent nuclear war, direct communications between the two governments will implement several levels to exchange info on cyber-threats.

The Department of Homeland Security in the US and the Russian equivalent will exchange info on any malware that appears to originate in the other country. The Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC), originally implemented in 1987, will also be used to improve communication regarding cyber-threats; it is staffed around the clock and connects the US Department of State to Russia's Ministry of Defense.

Also authorized is a secure voice connection between the US cybersecurity coordinator and the Russian deputy secretary of the Security Council. It will be integrated into the direct hotline that already exists between Moscow and Washington and is intended to prevent a cybersecurity problem from becoming a bilateral crisis.