Discussions focus on digital sovereignty and cybersecurity

A high-profile forum on digital sovereignty and cybersecurity was held at Moscow's Luzhniki Olympic Complex in late May, igniting public discussions.

At the opening ceremony of the 13th Positive Hack Days Festival, internet experts and officials talked about how to safeguard Russia's digital sovereignty and the legitimate rights and interests of Russian internet users with different focal points.

Maksut Shadayev, minister of digital development, communications and mass media of the Russian Federation, said that over the past decades, Russians have grown accustomed to and even highly dependent on a life with internet access. However, in recent years, escalating Western sanctions have severely affected Russia's digital life, forcing the Russian government to recognize the importance of digital sovereignty.

"Through concerted efforts over the past few years, Russia has successfully established a stable, reliable, and independent national internet service infrastructure," he said.

Shadayev cited Russia's mobile payment sector as an example, noting that since 2010, cashless payment services, primarily powered by a few platforms built by Western tech giants, had gradually gained traction in the Russian market. At that time, the government did not recognize the importance of digital sovereignty and thus did not intervene.

According to 2020 statistics, 29 percent of Russians used Google Pay, while 20 percent relied on Apple Pay. This meant that nearly half of the country's mobile payments were processed through systems belonging to United States companies.

In early 2022, following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Western companies joined sanctions against Russia. Unprepared, the most prevalent payment methods in Russia were suddenly cut off, leading to adverse chaos such as bank runs and currency devaluation, and even the overall economic foundation.

"Even though they are commercial companies, they firmly adhered to the stance of their respective countries on major political issues, harming the interests of the Russian state and its people. That was a profound and unforgettable lesson," Shadayev said.

Sergey Tsivilev, energy minister of the Russian Federation, shared the same idea. He said that as the world's largest energy reserve country, Russia attaches great importance to energy supply security.

After three years of revision, the new version of Russia's Energy Strategy until 2050 was released last month. The new strategy aims to enhance Russia's influence in the global energy market through systematic integration of resource reserves, diversified market distribution, accelerated technological innovation, and to safeguard the country's overall security with energy supply security.

"All this requires Russia to have an independent and secure network infrastructure that can withstand any cyberattacks. Without digital sovereignty, nothing can be achieved," Tsivilev said.

Meanwhile, experts place greater emphasis on the importance of international cooperation.

Yury Maksimov, co-founder of Russia's Positive Technologies, the event organizer, stated that it is neither realistic nor necessary for every nation to establish a fully independent cyber framework isolated from other countries.

"Cybersecurity is not just a national-level requirement but an essential need for every internet user. It can only be achieved through collective efforts toward this shared goal," he emphasized.

He further cited examples of progress, noting that as one of the fixed programs during the annual event, his company has organized 15 times of simulated cyber warfare standoffs to enhance Russia's overall cybersecurity capabilities.

"We hope that while prioritizing digital sovereignty, every country can demonstrate sufficient goodwill to strengthen collaboration and jointly safeguard the secure and stable operation of the global internet," Maksimov added.

As one of three Russian high-tech billionaires to have made his fortune in software, Maksimov has served as the company's CEO since its establishment in 2002. Then, in 2022 he helped establish a foundation named Cyberus, aiming to unite Russia's IT industry, business, and governments to build breakthrough IT products and resilient global infrastructure. Designed to be impenetrable to cyberattacks, these innovations empower end-users with the sovereignty and control essential in a future digital world.

Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the presidium of the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and editor-in-chief of the journal Russia in Global Affairs, endorsed Maximov's perspective. He argued that in confronting the shared challenge of cybersecurity, nations must cultivate competitive yet cooperative relationships, while preserving their sovereignty.

"Like athletes at the Olympic Games," he remarked. "Rule-based peaceful competition and knowledge-sharing among states can elevate humanity's collective technological capabilities. The benefits and advancements born of international competition and collaboration will serve all people worldwide, which are far preferable to mutual attacks and vilification."