When I moved to Russia, I was astonished by the pervasiveness of Internet piracy. Movies, music, software, books — everything was at my fingertips, free of charge and in the language of my choice. When my Russian friends learned that I pay for a Netflix account, they burst out laughing. Why, they asked, would I pay for something that is available for free? During my time in Russia, …
A consignment of everyday electrical goods from China that double as spying devices has been discovered in St. Petersburg. Special chips were built in to the irons and kettles, which are able to connect to networks automatically and distribute viruses and spam. The equipment is able to independently connect via Wi-Fi to any unprotected computer …
Package of disguised spyware sent from China to Russia Read More
Pavel Vrublevsky, the founder and main owner of electronic payment company ChronoPay, was sentenced to 2.5 years in jail for orchestrating a cyber attack on a competitor. This conviction is the result of a two-year legal imbroglio that some feel has been plagued with procedural infringements and bias. The Tushinsky Court of Moscow ruled last week …
ChronoPay founder jailed after controversial trial Read More
Cyber security company McAfee has released the report “Free apps, freedom, and free money,” which explores consumer mobile trends in June 2013. According to the research, Russia is seen as the most frequent source of mobile malware, while China is the main victim of the five most common threats. The report also highlights that the …
McAfee: Russia is the main source of mobile malware Read More
Russia will form a new military branch responsible for cybersecurity by the end of 2013, news agency RIA Novosti reported last week, citing an unnamed source in the Ministry of Defense. Among the main tasks of the cyber troops will be data monitoring and processing, as well as dealing with cyber threats. The first steps …
Russia’s Ministry of Defense to create “cyber troops” Read More
Kaspersky Lab, a Russian-based provider of global IT security with headquarters in the U.S., has released a study called “The evolution of phishing attacks: 2011- 2013,” which lists Russia among the countries from which such attacks are launched most frequently. According to the data obtained from some 50 million users through the Kaspersky Security Network …
Russia is among the main sources of phishing – and also a main target Read More
In a bid to anticipate and curtail misdemeanors potentially originating from Russia’s social networks and blogosphere, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has launched an open tender for IT solutions that would enable investigators to do so. The Committee, responsible for investigations of particularly important cases of crimes against individuals, public safety, the national …
Russian authorities to scan social networks and blogosphere for crime threats Read More
Kaspersky Lab, a global IT security provider based in Russia with headquarters in the U.S., has announced an agreement with the newly-established Interpol Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) to provide its expertise to combat international cybercrime and online threats. The announcement came after a meeting between Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky Labs’ CEO and co-founder, Ronald Noble, …
Interpol recruits Russia’s Kaspersky Lab to thwart cybercrime Read More
Experts say cyber viruses are no longer a threat only to home networks, but are increasingly being used as dangerous weapons aimed at state networks. In this context, the Russian Ministry of Defense has decided to create a specialized network command to protect the information structures of the Russian state. According to media reports, Russia’s …
Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed last week the creation of a government system capable of anticipating, preventing, and assisting in the aftermath of cyber-attacks on national IT resources. The Federal Security Service (FSB), the post-Soviet successor of the KGB, will be responsible for the project. In addition to warding off cyber-raids, the prospective system is …
FSB to forge IT shield against global cyber-attacks Read More
Kaspersky Lab has identified an elusive cyber espionage network that targets diplomatic, governmental and scientific research organizations in several countries, a company statement revealed. The network has been christened Red October, and there is a chance that the malware may have its origins in a Russian-speaking country. Cybercriminals focusing on Russia, the former Soviet Union, Eastern …
Group-IB, a leading Russian cybercrime investigation company, has just published its 2011 report on the “State and trends of the ‘Russian’ digital crime market.” Russian-speaking hackers – both from Russia and abroad – generated more than one third of the global cybercrime value: they earned an estimated $4.5 billion out of a global “cybercrime market” …
