Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday that Russian anti-virus software is a danger to public IT systems and the government will adopt a bill prohibiting the purchase of such products, according to Agerpres.

„We propose under legislation the protection of IT systems in the public administration. It is a very important decision in the current context. We need to coordinate all our activities in order to be able to protect ourselves from all threats in the cyber province. Taking into account a whole series of cyber-attacks that have taken place and which we have managed, there is still a need for additional measures. Thus, based on reports and conversations with specialists in the area who have found very clearly that the Russian anti-virus software is a danger to public IT systems, we will take today a decision to regulate the protection of IT systems as practically as possible,” Ciuca said at the beginning of a government meeting.

Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Transformation Sebastian Burduja, said that, within 60 days of the entry into force of the law, antivirus products and services from entities in the Russian Federation or under the control of the Russian Federation will be disconnected from to the networks and computer systems of authorities and public institutions at the central and local level.

According to the statement of reasons, the bill establishes the legal and institutional framework in order to prohibit the acquisition and use by public administrations and institutions, at central and local level, of anti-virus software products and services originating directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation or from a business operator under the direct or indirect control of a natural or legal person from the Russian Federation.

Violation of these provisions will be a misdemeanor and punishable by fines of between 50,000 and 200,000 lei.

Agerpres