A proposed Russian bill could require all personal data operators to connect with a government system designed to detect, prevent, and mitigate the effects of cyber attacks that are managed by the FSB’s GosSOPKA. The draft text, published on the State Duma portal on April 6, outlines a mandate for operators to promptly report incidents involving their personal databases to the appropriate authorities and to maintain ongoing interaction with GosSOPKA to counter cyber threats to information resources across the Russian Federation.
According to the explanatory note, the core obligation is clear: operators must relay cybersecurity incidents to GosSOPKA and stay connected to the system for rapid response and coordinated actions against attackers. Pavel Korostelev, who leads the Department of Promotion of Products in the Security Code, described GosSOPKA as a protective framework that gathers data and analytics nationwide. Its role is to surface patterns that help craft security measures against cybercrime and to inform authorities as well as participating organizations about the evolving threat landscape.
Korostelev explained that the primary function of GosSOPKA is to log events and enable a faster, more informed response to breaches. When firms that handle personal data are connected, the system can reveal an attacker’s moves, helping teams isolate the breach and remediate damage quickly. At present, only critical infrastructure and a subset of government bodies are linked to the system, but the vision is to scale up participation.
Observers note that simply connecting to GosSOPKA is not a magic bullet for security. Yet the procedure should not be dismissed as useless. The system enables a two-way information exchange. It shares alerts about current threats, critical vulnerabilities, and the tactics used by cybercriminals. For smaller organizations that lack the resources to perform independent threat hunting and data analysis, GosSOPKA could deliver valuable insights and reduce costs associated with enterprise information security oversight.
Alexei Novikov, director of the security expert center at Positive Technologies, argued that this connectivity could raise the overall level of information security in Russian companies and lower the likelihood of data leaks. He noted that the initiative could eventually harmonize private and public sector defense efforts by making threat intelligence more accessible.
From a legal perspective, Boris Edidin, deputy head of the Digital Economy Legal Support Commission in Moscow, highlighted that similar systems have long existed in the European Union to inform state institutions about incidents. Such tools are widely considered essential for minimizing the impact of data breaches and for coordinating a faster, more effective response.
it doesn’t look like much
As the draft moves forward, concerns linger about how smoothly the connection process will unfold for all operators. The sheer number of entities that process personal data poses a practical challenge to implementation and compliance.
Alexandra Orekhovich, director of legal initiatives at the Internet Enterprises Development Fund, clarified that an operator can be any person, organization, or public body that processes personal data, alone or with others. This broad umbrella covers schools, hotels, travel agencies, online merchants, ride-hailing services, and many other businesses large and small that collect not only passport information but also addresses, phone numbers, and other personal data.
As of mid-2022 the Roskomnadzor Registry reported hundreds of thousands of operators registered to process personal data. Industry observers estimate the potential pool of GosSOPKA subscribers is vast, spanning individual entrepreneurs to large corporate entities.
Security professionals diverge on the system’s capacity and timing. Some experts argue that GosSOPKA still lacks robust computing power to perform real-time analysis across the entire operator base, which could impede rapid incident response. In the near term, analysts expect capacity to grow, with hopeful prospects that the National Coordination Center for Computer Events, the FSB unit backing GosSOPKA, will gain the resources needed to interconnect all data operators.
In discussing policy feasibility, Alexander Khinshtein, a member of Russia’s State Duma, noted that prior consultations with operators confirmed that a nationwide interconnection is technically feasible.
communication challenges
Beyond the sheer count of operators, several concerns complicate the rollout. Some specialists question whether every business involved in data processing has the right personnel to set up information systems for GosSOPKA. Large firms often have dedicated security teams, but smaller clinics, shops, and services may lack in-house expertise.
Industry voices stress that the presence of information security specialists is relatively rare in many mid-sized enterprises, which could slow compliance. Cisco Systems Security Advisor Alexey Lukatsky shared this sentiment in interviews with industry outlets.
On the other hand, Anton Kuzmin of Innostage suggested that the link for information exchange could be simplified further. He advised arranging a secure channel through appropriate authorities and formally requesting a connection to GosSOPKA. Kuzmin also indicated that operators could seek a service from GosSOPKA through a recognized trading center to facilitate participation.
Taken together, the policy aims to elevate national cybersecurity resilience by strengthening data breach reporting, enabling rapid containment, and promoting coordinated defense across the public and private sectors. Whether the system reaches full scale remains a topic of debate among security practitioners, policymakers, and business leaders.