Ukrainian’s Sign up for IT War with Russia

Professionals working at tech companies are calling on their employers to do more in the IT war against Russia.


Supporters gather during a rally organized by Silicon Valley-based humanitarian aid group Nova Ukraine, as Russia's invasion in Ukraine continues, outside the city hall in San Francisco, California, U.S., February 27, 2022. Igor Markov/Nova Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS
Supporters gather during a rally organized by Silicon Valley-based humanitarian aid group Nova Ukraine, as Russia's invasion in Ukraine continues, outside the city hall in San Francisco, California, U.S., February 27, 2022. Igor Markov/Nova Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS
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LONDON (Bywire News) - The fight against Russia is one that is happening not just on the ground but also in the digital realm. Fortunately for Ukraine, they have a whole lot of people working in tech companies around the world who are banding together to use technology against the Russian aggressors. 

Among the tactics being used are taking down disinformation websites, encouraging Russians to turn against their government and speeding up the delivery of medical supplies. Through email campaigns and online petitions, they will need to persuade firms such as Cloudfare Inc, Google and Amazon to do more to counter the invasion. 

“Companies should try to isolate Russia as much as possible, as soon as possible,” said Olexiy Oryeshko, a staff software engineer at Google and a Ukrainian American.

“Sanctions are not enough,” he added.

He and others like him are responding to a call from Kyiv to form a volunteer IT army to fight Russia. Activists like him are demanding companies do more to counter aggression such as dropping Russian clients, especially those who are publishing disinformation. 

Igor Seletskiy, chief executive of Palo Alto-based software maker CloudLinux, has pleaded for Cloudflare to drop several Russian news websites.

“Given that even Switzerland took sides, I think it would be an important statement if Cloudflare would do the same,” he wrote in an email to top executives, which he shared with.

In response, Cloudfare says it has severed relations with some of its clients due to sanctions and have begun reviewing those accounts flagged up in his email. They added that they were proceeding with caution because cutting ties would jeopardise customer security. 

This IT war is happening on a number of fronts. Some are looking to increase the pressure on the country by disrupting the lives of ordinary Russians. An online petition organised by Stas Matviyenko, CEO of restaurant order-ahead company Allset in Los Angeles, calls on developers of entertainment, dating or payment apps to block access in Russia. 

Meanwhile, big tech companies such as Amazon are being urged to support Ukraine with donations, space on their cargo planes for relief supplies and other measures which could help them in the fight. Amazon declined to comment on these specific suggestions but said it would give $10 million to organisations that are supporting Ukraine. 

Hacktivists are also taking direct action against the Russian State. Anonymous has been highly active and has already taken down government websites, hacked state TV and revealed communications between Russian forces on their Twitter feed.

Russia itself is feeling the pinch and is cracking down on social media sites in order to control the flow of information into the country. However, that is proving more difficult than they might have hoped as sales of VPNs to get around the restrictions. 

If Putin is hoping to restart the Cold War, he is finding himself in a very different world. Russia – like everyone else – is digitally advanced and connected. That makes them vulnerable to cyber-attack and makes it much more difficult to stop people from getting independent news on current events. With people finding ways to circumvent social media restrictions, the information and digital wars are ones which he may struggle to win. 

(Writing by Tom Cropper, editing by Klaudia Fior)

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