Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev has announced that cybercrime damage in Russia has surpassed $1.25 billion this year. He revealed this information during a recent meeting of the Public Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. As Kolokoltsev noted, the victims of such unauthorized access may be both individuals and organizations, including government agencies.
Kolokoltsev underlined the increasing trend of cyber criminality, which, he said, has reached 40% of all crimes in Russia. Especially for grave crimes, this figure rises to 60%. State property and citizens’ property rights are in danger, which he stressed is the case concerning cybercrime threats to the economy. Since the beginning of 2024, such losses have amounted to more than 116 billion rubles, or approximately $1.25 billion.
In particular, he underlined the fact that the number of illicit actions in the Internet space has grown by an absolute value larger than two times within the past five years. ‘Second crime in Russia now happens over the Internet,’ he said. This rise demonstrates that there is a more significant use of computers in criminal experiences in many areas of society.
Kolokoltsev Highlights Need for Enhanced Cybercrime Countermeasures
To counter this surge in cybercrime, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is to pay priority attention to increasing the efficiency of the IT crime department. He noted that about 1000 university students are learning computer and information security. Furthermore, more than 750 ministry employees have recently increased their level of knowledge in this sphere. These efforts are forging the requisite capacity for the nation to confront cyber threats.
Kolokoltsev is confident that all these initiatives are bearing fruit. He said the statistics reveal the growth rate of solved serious crimes involving criminal gangs from January to August.
Considering the escalation of various cyber threats, the Russian government is making efforts to safeguard its people and its economy. Still, the statements provided by the Interior Minister clearly indicate the need to counter cybercrime in the world of high technology.
