Model law on information protection and cyber security passes first reading

The CSTO draft model law On Information Protection and Cyber Security is being developed in accordance with the 2021–2025 CSTO PA Action Plan on the initiative of the Standing Committee on National Security of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus. The purpose of developing this law is to create a comprehensive system of legal regulation of relations in the field of information protection and to update the legal and organizational basis for information security of critical information infrastructure and state information systems aimed at preventing and counteracting destructive information influence and other information threats, which, in turn, will significantly reduce risks of social, political, financial and other negative consequences for the state. The adoption of the model law, in addition to the consolidation of disparate legislative acts, will eliminate a number of problems that hinder the activities of business entities.
The adoption of the model law, in addition to the consolidation of disparate legislative acts, will eliminate a number of problems that hinder business activities.
First, it will enable a clear definition of conditions for the organization of automated transborder transfer of information, the distribution and/or provision of which is restricted.
Second, it will establish a procedure for ensuring cryptographic protection of information, whereby such protection at the stage of information transfer from the workplace of the service consumer to the operator is based on international standards which are supported by the main operating systems and browsers by default.
Third, it will allow owners (operators) of information systems (digital assets) not to implement certain technical requirements if the subject’s information security system will have documented evidence of choosing an alternative option to reduce (neutralize) or accept this risk. The model law is being developed by the Research Institute for Technical Information Protection of the Republic of Belarus.