MOSCOW, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - Sopka teams, tasked to detect and prevent cyberattacks, have been created within the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (SMF), the ministry’s Strategic Missile Forces spokesman Col. Igor Yegorov told journalists Thursday.
"The SMF is adopting digital technologies in weapon and troop control and is expanding the use of electronic document management. Due to that, the staff of the SMF are taking preventive measures in upgrading cybersecurity: the process of creating teams responsible for sustainable combat troop control amid cyberwarfare is underway," Yegorov said.
According to the spokesman, the cyberspecialists will be tasked with detecting and reducing the vulnerability of information systems, when necessary.
The Sopka units are created for troops armed with mobile land-based missile systems and for those equipped with silo launchers.
By 2017, the Defense Ministry will set up a special division tasked with repelling cyberattacks aimed at its crucial objectives. In summer 2013, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the ministry was seeking programmers.
