The Concept of the Critical Information Infrastructure of the Russian Federation

In December 2016, President Vladimir Putin signed the Information Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation (RF), which defines one of the national interests of the RF in the information sphere to be ensuring sustainable and uninterrupted functioning of its critical information infrastructure (CII). The doctrine, however, fails to define the concept of CII. This paper describes the development of the concept of the critical information infrastructure of the Russian Federation (CIIRF) starting from the year 2000 when the RF published its first doctrine regarding information. The concept of the CIIRF is important to define because it helps to understand the threats Russia perceives in the information sphere, and it serves as one of the basic terms in research on Russian information security management. Though a number of studies have been published about CII in the West or about CII in general, there has been relatively little about the CIIRF. The research method is grounded theory, which is appropriate because there is a lack of theoretical and structured information about the subject. The study is based on official Russian documents related to information security. These include the Russian Federation's information security doctrines, draft legislation and laws as well as documents from the RF Security Council and Ministry of Defence. The concept of the CIIRF has been in development since 2000. The deterioration of the relationship between Russia and the West can be seen in how the concept has become increasingly security and defense oriented. CII Policy Directions 2012 contained the first official definition of the CIIRF. The document defines the CIIRF as a complex of automated systems for managing critically important objects (CIOs) and for enabling their connections with information networks. These systems are subsequently used for state management, ensuring defense capability, and maintaining security as well as law and order. Any violation of these may have severe consequences. In the CII Security Law 2017, the importance of the strategic industries well as of the energy sector has also clearly risen.