Government approves draft law on prohibition of purchase&use of antivirus software from Russian Federation

 

The draft law establishes the necessary legal and institutional framework in order to prohibit in Romania the purchase and use by public authorities and institutions, from the central and local level, of antivirus software products and services originating from the Russian Federation.

 

The Government specifies that, if there are such services already purchased and/or installed, they will be disconnected and/or uninstalled, with the support of the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, the Authority for Digitization of Romania, the National Cyber Security Directorate, the Romanian Information and Special Telecommunications Service.

 

"The measure was taken in the context in which specialists warn that the presence of Russian anti-virus software represents a vulnerability to the cyber security of the Romanian authorities and institutions. The tendency of all the member states of the European Union is to issue recommendations or pieces of legislation that impose their own public institutions to change their antivirus solutions if they use those that come directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation, because there is a risk that Russia will exploit these software in a cyber attack," the release says.

 

According to the Executive, the measure is a temporary one, in accordance with the rules provided by art. 53 of the Constitution, and produces effects for the entire duration of the invasion launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, until the date of the signing of a peace treaty or a permanent armistice agreement to establish the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

 

The Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization, Sebastian Burduja, stated on Wednesday that the Government will request an emergency procedure for this draft law in the Parliament.