Russia and the US are working to reduce chances for a cybersecurity incident that could damage the countries’ relationship, according to Howard Schmidt, the White House cybersecurity adviser.

The two countries have agreed to exchange technical information on problems such as botnets and have “crisis prevention” communications links by the end of the year.

“Both the US and Russia are committed to tackling common cybersecurity threats while at the same time reducing the chances a misunderstood incident could negatively affect our relationship,” Schmidt wrote on the White House blog.

Russia has not signed the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime, the only international treaty that promotes harmonised computer crime legislation across different countries and contact points for law enforcement.