Policy & Regulation

Russian Minister Proposes Blocking All SIM Cards Linked to Fraudsters Banned in MAX Messenger

The head of Russia's Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadaev, has suggested extending account bans in the MAX messenger to a broader set of mobile restrictions. Under the proposal, operators would be required to disconnect not only the number used in a fraudulent account but also any other SIM cards belonging to the same individual. The measure would also introduce a cooling-off period preventing the person from registering new numbers after a ban. Officials aim to make it significantly harder for scammers to resume operations following enforcement actions. Key implementation details, including how ownership and involvement in fraud will be verified, remain unspecified in the initial statement. The initiative specifically targets fraud prevention and does not apply to every account suspension in the messenger.

Russia Ready to Disclose Source Code of Social Networks, Messengers and AI Models

Russian Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadaev announced that the country is prepared to open the source code of its domestic social networks, messengers, and video services to international partners. Shadaev stated that Russia will show the internal structure of these platforms and allow joint modification of algorithms. The proposal was presented at the Platform of Sovereign Development exhibition and reported by TASS. He contrasted Western IT products, described as opaque black boxes, with Russia's new approach of transparency to avoid what he called digital colonialism. The same offer extends to Russian foundational AI models, which could be adapted to foreign legislation, cultural requirements, and security standards. No specific products, repository links, timelines, or licensing terms were provided during the speech.

Russia Mulls Mandatory Two-Week IMEI Registration for Foreign Smartphones via Gosuslugi

Russian authorities are discussing a new rule requiring owners of smartphones imported without customs clearance or purchased abroad to register the devices through the Gosuslugi portal within two weeks. Failure to register would result in the device being blocked from Russian mobile networks. The Ministry of Digital Development is preparing the requirements, which remain under discussion with possible changes to timelines and details. Devices already operating in Russia before April 2027 would be exempt and continue working without restrictions. Officially imported equipment would be added to the registry automatically. The measure is expected to significantly impact gray-market sellers, potentially forcing up to 70 percent of them out of the market and driving price increases of up to 40 percent for some models.

Google Opens Registration for Registered App Stores Program to Simplify Third-Party App Installs on Android

Google has opened registration for its new Registered App Stores program, enabling approved third-party app stores to install applications with a single tap and perform background updates on Android devices. The program introduces stricter compliance requirements, including an annual $10,000 registration fee paid before review, mandatory submission of all APK files and updates for malware scanning, and organizational verification. These features will become available starting December 1, 2026, on devices running Android 17 QPR2 and newer versions, with Russia listed among supported countries. Stores that remain outside the program can continue using the existing multi-step installation process. Google will impose additional fees if more than 1% of installation attempts or 2% of catalog applications are flagged as potentially malicious within any 30-day period. The initiative aims to balance user convenience with enhanced security controls while remaining entirely voluntary for alternative app distributors.

Mobile Internet Slowdowns Reported in Central Moscow as Content Filtering Systems Activate for Summits

Residents in central Moscow reported noticeable degradation in mobile internet performance starting October 27, coinciding with the first day of possible restrictions announced by the Ministry of Digital Development. The measures involve content filtering systems deployed to comply with Russian legislation and ensure security during the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and Russia-Africa summits. Two Speedtest measurements shared via the Ostorožno, Moskva channel showed speeds dropping from 225.47 Mbit/s to 12.13 Mbit/s, though exact locations, operators, and test conditions remain unspecified. The ministry indicated that restrictions inside the Third Transport Ring could occur daily from 11:30 Moscow time on October 27-28 and from 9:30 on October 29. Access to resources in the approved whitelist is expected to remain available, while voice calls, fixed broadband, and Wi-Fi should continue without interruption. The practical recommendation for visitors is to download necessary maps, tickets, and documents in advance before traveling to the affected area.

Protecting Data Centers from Kinetic and Cyber Attacks: What Regulators Worldwide Are Proposing

InfoWatch experts have updated their April report on data center resilience, highlighting how physical and cyber threats now directly threaten business continuity and national security. Regulators in the United States, European Union, and Russia are treating data centers as strategic infrastructure requiring layered defenses that combine physical hardening, geographic distribution, and strict cybersecurity controls. The United States has launched the Cyberstrategy for America 2026 emphasizing offensive operations, Zero Trust modernization, and supply-chain restrictions. The European Union is implementing ProtectEU and the Cyber Solidarity Act with real-time threat sharing and mandatory resilience standards under DORA. Russia is advancing technological sovereignty targets, new siting rules for data centers, and Presidential Decree No. 604 that enables temporary state management of inadequately protected critical facilities. The report also notes growing recognition that attacks on data centers can constitute acts of aggression under the Tallinn Manual.

US Department of Homeland Security Orders Federal Agencies to Remove DeepSeek Products

The US Department of Homeland Security issued an order on October 19 requiring federal civilian agencies to cease purchasing products from DeepSeek and to remove related technology from government systems. The directive, published the following day, targets Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence, its affiliates, and any third-party products or services built on DeepSeek implementations. The measure stems from the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 and follows a recommendation by the Federal Acquisition Security Council, though no specific incidents or evidence were detailed in the notice. The restriction applies only to federal environments and does not prohibit private sector or individual use outside government systems. No removal deadline was set, and the document does not name the signing authority. The order is filed under docket DHS-2026-0628 with the CISA implementation team listed as the contact point.

AKIT Requests Temporary Permission for Russian Companies to Transfer Personal Data Abroad After Data Center Incidents

The Association of Internet Trade Companies (AKIT) has sent a formal letter to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin proposing a temporary exemption from strict data localization rules. The measure would allow affected companies to move critical systems and Russian citizens' personal data to data centers in friendly countries when domestic infrastructure is unavailable due to accidents or damage. Members including Ozon, Wildberries, Cooper, and Yandex Market argue that services must continue operating even if Russian facilities are compromised. The proposed special regime would apply only after an officially confirmed incident, require compliance with information security standards, and end no later than March 1, 2028. After recovery, companies would be required to return to normal data processing within Russia. Expert Alexey Muntyan noted that the mechanism activates only after incidents occur and questioned whether countries should be selected based on data protection levels rather than political alignment.

Anthropic Model Reconstructs NSA Seeds for NIST Elliptic Curves in Under 30 Minutes

An internal Anthropic research model traced the origins of the five seeds used by the NSA to generate the NIST elliptic curves P-192, P-224, P-256, P-384, and P-521. The discovery resolves a 25-year-old question that arose when the curves were standardized in FIPS 186-2 for ECDSA in 2000. Researchers combined analysis of 1990s random number generators, 34 generator-output combinations, and lattice reduction techniques to identify lrand48 initialized with Unix timestamps from May 1997 to April 1998. The P-256 seed corresponds to the 1842nd candidate from a run started on 16 August 1997, and example seeds from ANSI X9.62 follow the same pattern. The work does not demonstrate any cryptographic break or backdoor in the curves and does not recommend changes to production systems. Several questions remain open, including the seed for curve B-163 and the reason certain candidate values were discarded.

Bitget Bans Residents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, Sets Strict Deadlines for Position Closure and Asset Withdrawal

Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has updated its user agreement to prohibit residents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus from using its services. The changes took effect on 16 October, with affected users receiving individual notifications via email, the mobile app and push alerts. New trading, orders and subscriptions were disabled at 10:00 Moscow time on 18 October. Users must close all positions and withdraw assets by 10:00 Moscow time on 21 October, after which remaining positions will be liquidated automatically and account access will be restricted. The exchange has not disclosed the specific reason for the decision in its public statement. The move underscores how access to crypto platforms can be terminated by changes in terms of service rather than technical issues or user credentials.

Encrypt Don't Trust: Securing Palm Vein Biometrics from Sensor to Access Control Server

An in-depth technical analysis explores how to protect palm vein biometric data in access control systems using a security-by-design approach. The article emphasizes that biometric templates cannot be changed like passwords, making robust protection essential against physical theft, insider threats, and presentation attacks. It details the application of Zero Trust principles, minimizing the Trusted Computing Base, and implementing hardware roots of trust such as Secure Boot and encrypted non-volatile memory. Russian regulatory requirements including 152-FZ, Government Decree No. 1119 for data protection levels, FSTEC Order No. 21, and FSB Order No. 378 are mapped directly to technical controls like mTLS, OSDP v2.2, and liveness detection. Threat actor profiles ranging from external attackers to privileged insiders are analyzed with specific countermeasures for each segment of the data path. The piece concludes that trust must be compressed to the hardware root, server room, and dual-operator registration process while everything else relies on verifiable cryptography and auditing.

25-Year Mystery Solved: NIST Elliptic Curve Seeds Came from lrand48 and Unix Timestamps

Researchers at Anthropic used the Claude model to trace the origins of the mysterious seed values embedded in NIST elliptic curves standardized in FIPS 186-2. The seeds for curves including NIST P-192, P-224, P-256, P-384 and P-521 were not derived from hashed humorous phrases as previously rumored but instead generated by the non-cryptographic lrand48 linear congruential generator seeded with Unix timestamps from 1997 and 1998. The discovery also explains the base points of several curves using the FreeLIP library's random number generator. The findings reduce long-standing suspicions of deliberate backdoors inserted by the NSA. Several candidate curves that met the criteria were skipped during selection, leaving open questions about the exact filtering process. The work was performed by a team including Nicholas Carlini and others, with the reproduction code released into the public domain.

Japan's IPA Opens Special Consultation Desk for Suspected Cyberattack Data Leaks

The Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA) has launched a dedicated Unauthorized Access Special Consultation Desk to assist companies and organizations affected by cyber attacks resulting in information leaks. The service accepts inquiries from entities that only suspect they may have been victimized, providing initial response guidance even before confirmed incidents. Consultations cover advice on whether unauthorized access or data exfiltration is likely, recommended immediate containment steps, lists of incident response vendors, and reporting obligations to relevant authorities. The hotline operates on weekdays from 9:30 to 17:30 excluding the lunch hour, while email replies may take until the next business day. Separate channels exist for non-access incidents, general security advice, and individual personal data breach concerns. The move responds to a rising number of breaches targeting online services handling personal information.

Russian State Duma Approves Outsourcing of Banking Secrecy and Client Data Without Consent

The State Duma has passed legislation in its second and third readings permitting Russian banks to transfer client data processing, including banking secrecy and personal information, to external IT contractors and cloud providers. No separate client consent will be required for such transfers. Only accredited Russian IT companies and banks holding a universal license that meet strict domestic control criteria may act as processors, with all servers required to remain inside Russia. Banks must notify the Central Bank of Russia in advance, and contractors must undergo audits by organizations licensed by FSTEC or FSB Russia. Special approval procedures involving the Central Bank, FSB, and Rosfinmonitoring apply to banks under foreign control. The law preserves banking secrecy while expanding the circle of authorized handlers under defined security obligations.

Russia's MinTsifry Drafts Security Requirements for Trusted Domestic Software

The Russian Ministry of Digital Development has published a draft set of requirements for trusted Russian software that go beyond simple domestic origin. The proposals focus on resilience against external interference, absence of known unpatched vulnerabilities, and full development and build processes conducted inside Russia under controlled conditions. Additional rules cover up-to-date component inventories, in-country technical support, and timely disclosure of software updates. Special compatibility mandates are included for Russian browsers and electronic signature tools across multiple product classes such as operating systems, databases, office suites, and communication applications. Compliance verification would be voluntary through expert review, with results recorded in the official Russian software registry and internal-use software lists.

Rostelecom Calls for 'Doomsday' Data Centers to Counter Drone Attacks and Infrastructure Risks

Rostelecom executive Valery Ermakov has urged Russian companies to build geographically distributed backup data centers, dubbed 'doomsday' facilities, to ensure service recovery after site losses. The recommendation follows drone strikes that disabled three Yandex data centers in Sasovo, Kaluga, and Vladimir, disrupting both internal services and Yandex Cloud clients. Ermakov explained that previous centralized infrastructure, built for economic efficiency, is no longer viable under changed threat models that now include physical attacks previously considered unthinkable. He advocated a micro-cellular architecture with services spread across many sites connected by high-speed links, while warning that Russian backbone networks are overloaded and much fiber optic infrastructure dates back 20-30 years. Rostelecom positioned its TEA NEXT line running from Kaliningrad to Mongolia as a source of additional capacity to address potential backbone shortages. Yandex responded to the incidents by accelerating client data migration to partner cloud providers.

Russian Firms Accelerate Cybersecurity Strategy Adoption as Risk Reduction Emerges as Top Priority

A recent AM Live broadcast survey reveals that Russian small, medium, and large companies are increasingly developing information security strategies, with the share of organizations actively working on them rising from 9% to 28% year-over-year. The primary goal cited for 2027 is risk reduction and financial loss mitigation, selected by 78% of respondents compared to 55% previously. Key barriers have shifted, with insufficient source data now affecting 64% of companies and lack of top-management buy-in rising to 43%. Experts including Yaroslav Napalkov from MTS Bank and Nikolay Kazantsev from Securitm emphasized the need for risk-oriented approaches, three-year planning horizons with annual reviews, and early engagement with CEOs and stakeholders. Only 16% of firms have fully operationalized their strategies with metrics and cyber exercises, while personnel shortages remain the leading constraint at 59%.

VK Shares Rise 7.62% as Market Assesses Data Center Developments and Yandex Cloud Challenges

VK shares climbed sharply on October 12, reaching a peak increase of 7.62% to 134.2 rubles before moderating to a 6.6% gain at 132.95 rubles by evening. Analysts from Freedom Global linked the movement partly to the Ministry of Digital Development's announcement of joint measures with the Ministry of Defense to protect Russian data centers. Other observers at Finam suggested investors were pricing in potential client shifts from Yandex Cloud to competitors such as VK Cloud, which has already begun accelerated infrastructure placement for affected Yandex customers. The surge was also attributed to broader capital rotation away from the energy sector toward previously lagging technology stocks. While the confirmed price movement is clear, the exact drivers remain analytical interpretations rather than verified revenue impacts. The episode highlights how regulatory and infrastructure news can quickly influence valuations in the Russian cloud services market.

Passphrases vs. Leetspeak Passwords: Why Four Random Words Outperform P@ssw0rd!2026

The article explains why a passphrase made of four randomly selected words provides far greater resistance to offline attacks than a complex-looking password constructed with substitutions and appended symbols. It details how password strength is measured in bits of entropy rather than visual complexity, showing that four words drawn from a 50,000-word list yield approximately 62 bits while common leetspeak transformations add almost none. The piece contrasts fast legacy hashing with modern slow algorithms such as Argon2 and emphasizes the protective effect of per-password salting. It criticizes registration forms that reward predictable patterns and highlights NIST guidance favoring length over mandatory character rotation. The author recommends diceware-style generation for master passwords and password managers for everything else, noting that passkeys ultimately eliminate the need for memorizable secrets altogether.

Building the Foundation of Digital Trust: Why Identity Security Remains Undervalued

Identity Security is presented as one of the most underestimated pillars of cybersecurity because granting access involves trusting individuals with sensitive information and systems. The article examines the deep intersection of IT and security functions, the costs of manual access errors, and the need to align business processes with technical controls. It references a 2026 Identity Conf study showing 43.5% of organizations experienced errors in manual rights assignment and 33.5% left access for former employees. Recommendations draw on NIST Human-Centered Cybersecurity concepts, SP 800-53, and Russian FSTEC Order No. 117 to design lifecycle processes covering account provisioning, privilege reviews, and continuous monitoring. Models such as RBAC and ABAC are discussed alongside IGA and IdM solutions to ensure business permissions map correctly to application rights. The piece stresses that successful projects require joint IT and security efforts from the initial survey through pilot and acceptance phases while measuring both risk reduction and operational efficiency.

VK Files Lawsuit in EU Court Seeking to Overturn Sanctions Imposed in July

Russian internet company VK has submitted a formal challenge to the European Union's sanctions regime by filing a case with the Court of Justice of the European Union. The company argues that the restrictions placed on VK and its subsidiary Communication Platform LLC are both unjustified and unlawful. The lawsuit, registered under case number T-664/26 on 7 October, directly contests the July sanctions that targeted the developer of the MAX messenger. Earlier restrictions had already led to the removal of multiple VK ecosystem applications from Apple App Store and Google Play, forcing users toward alternative distribution channels such as RuStore, Huawei AppGallery, Samsung Galaxy Store and Xiaomi GetApps. While installed Android applications continue to function and receive updates, iOS users face disrupted push notifications after the apps were delisted. The legal action itself does not automatically restore app availability in the affected stores.

VPN Rules in Russia 2026: No Fine for Ordinary Users but Strict Penalties for Advertising and Extremist Content Access

As of September 2026, Russia maintains no separate administrative fine for ordinary citizens simply connecting to a VPN service. Responsibility arises only for specific actions such as deliberately searching for known extremist materials, advertising tools to bypass restrictions, or failing to comply with Roskomnadzor demands as a service operator. Corporate VPNs used for remote access to company networks remain fully legal under exceptions in Article 15.8 of Law No. 149-FZ. New provisions in the Code of Administrative Offenses, including Articles 13.53, 13.52 and 14.3 introduced by Laws 281-FZ and 282-FZ, impose fines ranging from 3,000 to 500,000 rubles depending on the violation and the offender category. The rules distinguish clearly between end users, service owners and advertisers. VPN technology itself is not banned, yet public services face ongoing blocking and operators must integrate with state filtering systems. The material reflects the regulatory situation on 24 September 2026.

Troubleshooting Erroneous TSPU Blocks: How Admins Can Collaborate with Russian Regulators

A Moneta client outage traced back to erroneous filtering on Russia's TSPU system rather than internal infrastructure or DDoS protection. Engineers used curl, traceroute, nping, and custom Python scripts to confirm TCP payload-based blocking after the handshake. The team submitted a request via the VTS personal account, received partial acceptance status, then escalated to DCOA and SSOP to obtain the specific TSPU site number. Detailed network traces and active traffic were required for diagnostics. The case highlights coordination challenges between operators, DCOA, and SSOP when erroneous blocks occur on information resources.

Security Vision Unveils Self-Assessment Portal for Unified Information Security Evaluation Across Corporate Holdings

Security Vision has launched a new Self-Assessment portal designed to consolidate information security self-evaluations for entire corporate groups and holdings. The platform addresses common challenges where subsidiaries maintain inconsistent compliance records, with some requirements fulfilled while others remain unresolved for years in scattered emails and spreadsheets. Security Vision SA covers the complete workflow from defining requirements and distributing questionnaires to calculating results and tracking remediation actions. Parent organizations gain a consolidated view of subsidiary compliance status along with detailed breakdowns by individual systems. The system supports requirement templates, version control, scheduled assessments, automated metric-based answers, and conversion of gaps into actionable plans with assigned owners and deadlines. Additional features include internal policy document management and interactive dashboards for analysis. The first public demonstration is scheduled for the SOC Forum on October 27-28.

Russian Websites Remain Dependent on Foreign SSL Certificates and Analytics Despite Sanctions

A Russian security researcher developed an open-source tool to scan websites for dependencies on foreign services that could be cut off abruptly. The scan of 50 major Russian sites including banks, retailers, telecoms, airlines, delivery services, online schools and government portals revealed that servers have largely been migrated domestically. However, critical components such as SSL certificates, analytics platforms and fonts remain tied to overseas providers. 43 out of 50 sites still use foreign SSL certificates, primarily from Belgian GlobalSign and American Let's Encrypt, while only four rely on the Russian NUC certificate from the Ministry of Digital Development. The study also highlights legal obligations under Roskomnadzor rules effective since March 2023 requiring prior notification for cross-border personal data transfers. Many sites continue using Google Analytics, Google Fonts and reCAPTCHA without realizing the compliance and resilience risks. The tool assigns letter grades from A to F based on the number of foreign dependencies detected.

Digitizing Cyber Risks: How to Communicate Cyber Threats to Boards in the Language of Money

The article from Solar details a hybrid methodology for quantifying cyber risks by converting technical threats into financial metrics such as probability and expected losses. It explains that cyber risks represent a specialized form of operational risk characterized by rapid propagation, scalability across IT infrastructure, and heavy dependence on third-party vendors and cloud providers. The process involves four stages: asset and threat identification, incident and vulnerability analysis, translation into monetary values using formulas like ALE, and ongoing monitoring with updates. Qualitative expert assessments are combined with quantitative techniques including Monte Carlo simulations and statistical modeling when data is available. The resulting metrics support investment prioritization through ROSI calculations, integration of cyber risks into enterprise risk management frameworks, and clear communication with directors and investors using business language. Regulatory pressure and the direct impact of incidents on revenue, costs, and business continuity make this approach increasingly essential.

Russian Interior Ministry Accuses Telegram of Ignoring Drug Trafficking Requests

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has publicly stated that Telegram completely ignores requests from law enforcement agencies aimed at combating illegal drug trafficking. According to the ministry, the messenger has become one of the main platforms, alongside darknet markets, for involving teenagers in narcotics-related crimes. Acting head of the Main Directorate for Drug Trafficking Control Kirill Smurov highlighted that Telegram administration does not respond to official inquiries and refuses to share necessary information. In contrast, Yandex promptly removes prohibited content either independently or upon the first police request. Since 2022, approximately 153,000 crimes have been committed using Telegram, while Roskomnadzor has issued more than 150,000 content removal demands that received no response. Founder Pavel Durov, who is included in the Rosfinmonitoring list of terrorists and extremists, has not engaged with Russian authorities on these matters.

UK Regulator Ofcom Investigates Meta Over Instagram Instants Compliance With Online Safety Act

Britain's communications regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into Meta to determine whether the company properly assessed risks before launching the Instagram Instants feature. The probe focuses on compliance with the Online Safety Act, specifically the potential for illegal content distribution and harms to minors. Instants, introduced in May 2026, allows users to exchange images that disappear after viewing. Under UK rules, platforms must update risk assessments before rolling out significant changes. Ofcom will first gather evidence and, if violations are found, issue a preliminary decision allowing Meta to respond. Penalties for non-compliance can reach 18 million pounds or 10 percent of global turnover, whichever is higher. Meta maintains it conducted risk analysis and implemented safeguards such as forwarding restrictions and teen account protections before launch.

Russia Plans Additional Security Checks for Gosuslugi Portal Access

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has directed the Ministry of Digital Development to develop extra authentication measures for the Gosuslugi portal used by 120 million citizens. The new controls would apply both to initial logins and to account recovery procedures. Details on the exact checks and implementation timeline remain unspecified as the ministry must first propose a concrete mechanism. In parallel, officials are preparing a third package of anti-fraud measures that includes a unified consent platform inside Gosuslugi for managing personal data processing permissions. The platform would let users view which organizations access their data, revoke prior consents, and report violations. Russian police have separately warned that fraudsters are already exploiting the topic of account protection by sending messages that threaten blocking or data leaks and urge victims to call provided numbers.

Entering Cybersecurity Without a Specialized Degree: Sector Rules and Practical Entry Points

The article examines whether a specialized higher education diploma is necessary to start a career in information security. It breaks down three main industry segments—state security structures, regulated government organizations, and private business—and explains the differing formal and practical requirements in each. In government-related roles, candidates must meet strict regulatory standards for education and approved programs. Private companies instead focus on demonstrable technical skills in networks, Windows Server, Linux, and security tools. The piece also covers typical junior engineer expectations, real-world career paths from unrelated backgrounds, and four key ways to prove competence without a diploma. It concludes with advice on building home labs, troubleshooting skills, and accessing open training resources like the CyberED course.