The United Nations Security Council will hold its first formal public meeting on cyber security Tuesday, which will address the growing threat posed by hacking to basic countries' infrastructure, an issue US President Joe Biden raised a short time ago with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

During a summit held by the two presidents this month in Geneva, the US president set red lines for Russia, which is often accused of being behind the largest electronic piracy operations. Biden referred to 16 "untouchable" entities, from the energy sector to water distribution.

"This is a general list of the basic infrastructures that exist in each country," said a European ambassador specializing in cyber security.

"At the UN Committee, we already agreed six years ago that we, as UN member states, would refrain from malicious cyber activities against each other's basic infrastructure," he added.

Tuesday's meeting, called by Estonia, which chairs the council for the month of June and plays a leading role in the fight against piracy, is taking place online and at a ministerial level.

The Security Council has previously addressed the issue in the past, but informally, both publicly and behind the scenes.

"It's something we can't ignore and say it doesn't exist," said another diplomat, who also asked not to be identified.

"It is a new file, and as usual in the Security Council, it is difficult to raise a new issue" after 76 years of dealing with the traditional aspects of peace and security, he added.

The meeting is scheduled to be opened by the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu.

Estonia pointed out that the conference's goal is to "contribute to a better understanding of the increasing risks posed by malicious activities in cyberspace and their repercussions on international peace and security."

"Cyber security is a dual-use field. We are in a complex situation unlike any other issues related to international security," the European ambassador said.

"It is not a question of controlling weapons so that a treaty can be signed and then verified. A more innovative approach should be taken," he said, something he hoped the meeting would address.

Several US companies have recently been targeted by cyber attacks, including the "Solar Winds" software group, the "Colonial" oil pipeline company, and the giant meat company "GPS."

As part of these attacks, malicious software encrypts computer systems and demands ransoms in exchange for their decryption.

The FBI blamed hackers in Russia for the attacks.