Wikileaks - MCD

214604 6/30/2009 13:47 09BUCHAREST453 Embassy Bucharest UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 09STATE59432 VZCZCXRO2515 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHBM #0453 1811347 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 301347Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9683 RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY UNCLAS BUCHAREST 000453

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/CE ASCHEIBE AND INR/CYBER

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINT, TINT, PREL, RO SUBJECT: ROMANIA: CYBERSECURITY POLICIES UNDER DEVELOPMENT

REF: STATE 059432

Sensitive but Unclassified, not for Internet distribution.

1. (SBU) EconOff met with Andrei Savulescu, Director General of the Department for Information Society in the Ministry of Communications and Information Society (MCSI) and Toma Cimpeanu, Vice President of the Agency for Information Society Services (ASSI) in response to reftel demarche. The Government of Romania (GOR) broadly concurs with the USG that cybersecurity issues present a looming threat, both to commerce and to national security. Noting that Romania has recently reorganized their Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) following the U.S. model, they expressed an interest in working cooperatively with the U.S. to establish best practices and share information. The Romanian CERT was recently established under the MCSI's authority in January 2009, building on existing capabilities within the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense.

2. (SBU) Savulescu and Cimpeanu stated that the biggest cybersecurity threat in Romania is the illegal collection of private data through Internet banking. However, Cimpeanu also pointed out that as e-government services increasingly take hold, threats to the public sector are expected to increase. Savulescu and Cimpeanu acknowledged that there have been exploratory attacks by foreign governments and other entities on Romanian computer networks and that the GOR consequently maintains a high level of vigilance in response to this threat. Some critical industries, specifically in the energy sector, already have robust cybersecurity defense programs in place, but the MSCI believes these programs could be expanded.

3. (U) According to post's interlocutors, the GOR is working hard to improve the security of commercial networks and bolster data privacy. The GOR is eager to work both bilaterally and multilaterally on efforts to enhance the security of public and private computer networks in Romania.

GUTHRIE-CORN