The exposure by a Moscow cyber security company of widespread U.S. cyber espionage takes the debate about cyber warfare to a new level. Especially given the fact that the U.S. intelligence community is warning that Russia poses a cyber threat to the U.S.

The broader cyber-security agenda has also been on the rise in 2014 highlighting Russia as one of the key markets for cyber-criminals. The threat of cyber war-fare has been in highlight across sectors given the tense geopolitical situation in Europe. Against this background new strategic cyber-security partnerships, such as the treaty signed off with China, set a clear trend for the years to come. It is also expected that more weight will be thrown with the broader BRICS format for a range of foreign policy issues including internet governance and cybersecurity.

Many of the RuNet developments have demonstrated what is traditionally perceived as ‘splinternet’ or ‘balcanisation’ symptoms. However, the Internet fragmentation is an objective process triggered by the increasing application of the offline rules by various countries to the online space, including Russia.