In further responses from the tech industry to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week and the country’s continued aggression against its neighbor, Google and Microsoft have both now said they’re pausing sales in Russia. We understand that Google’s pause — which is focused on its own ad sales — began last night and has been …
Google pauses its ad sales in Russia, Microsoft pauses sales Read More
As it seeks to control the narrative about its war in Ukraine, Russia blocked access to Facebook today. The Internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified its decision by alleged discriminations against Russian media and information resources. No fewer than 26 such cases have been recorded since October 2020, according to Roskomnadzor. The most recent cases concerned the Facebook accounts …
Russia bans Facebook, BBC, Voice of America; Twitter and YouTube could be next Read More
Yandex, arguably the most successful and emblematic Russian digital company over the past 25 years, could default in a matter of days. The company warned about this risk today even though none of its entities, main shareholders, directors or managers have been targeted by western sanctions. The threat originates in the fact that, this past Monday, the …
After Nasdaq stock suspension, Yandex could default on $1.25 billion convertible notes Read More
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, global venture funding announcements and disclosures have slowed dramatically. Since last Thursday, when the attack commenced, just 154 companies across the globe have revealed a seed, early- or late-stage venture investment of disclosed size, per Crunchbase data . Altogether, those rounds totaled $3.65 billion. That works out to an average of $912 …
Apple Inc. said on Tuesday it has paused all product sales in Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence,” Apple said in a statement. “We are supporting …
As the Russian economy seems to be sinking as a result of the western sanctions, Alexey Solovyov, a figure of the Russian venture scene, has a nuanced analysis of the impact on his industry. From a deal cancelled to the disruption of an essential banking service, the crisis has already affected his firm and portfolio …
In a hint of the strength of opposition among Russian professionals to war in Ukraine, an open letter that’s been circulating through the country’s IT industry since the invasion on Thursday — to protest at the act of military aggression and call for peace — has gathered around 30,000 signatories from named IT workers. The …
Scores of IT workers in Russia sign public anti-war petition Read More
As Western powers began cutting off its access to the SWIFT interbank payment system, Russia could turn to cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions. This Monday Sergey Glazyev, a former Russian minister and advisor to President Putin, made this suggestion in an interview to Russian TV channel RBC. Cryptocurrencies can become an alternative for settlements with Western countries, allowing Russia to continue …
Russia weighs pros and cons of using crypto to evade Western sanctions Read More
Among Joe Biden’s options to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine are disruptive cyberattacks—the kind that Russia itself often unleashes on other countries. Even more broadly, sanctions experts have discussed the possibility of cutting countries off from the global internet entirely, the way governments do to stifle unrest in domestic regions. But Russia has been preparing for …
Russia has been preparing to have its internet cut off Read More
While the G7 (today with the addition of Japan) mobilize to shut down Russia’s access to the Swift banking system, the country has been running campaign corralling developers to join an “IT army” tasked with specific cyber challenges. It’s also making specific calls to technology leaders to do their part. The “IT Army of Ukraine“, announced yesterday and already …
Ukraine takes resistance to cyberspace, assembles “IT army” to hack Russian sites Read More
The Russian invasion of Ukraine not only threatens to upend the world geopolitical order, it’s also affecting several different business sectors, notably cybersecurity. For days before and even during the invasion, several Ukrainian government and financial sites experienced hacks and disruptions. There have been reports that the FBI has also asked U.S. businesses to be on the watch …
Cybersecurity investment rises amid Russian invasion of Ukraine Read More
Hacker collective ‘Anonymous’ has declared a “cyber war” against Russia, claiming to have disabled several Russian government websites and that of RT. Social media accounts claiming to represent the group announced on Thursday evening that they were “officially in cyber war against the Russian government,” and had taken down dozens of websites in response to the country’s military action …
