TikTok Joins Facebook in Blocking Access to Kremlin-Controlled Media Sites

Facebook and TikTok said that the companies would shut down access to Kremlin-controlled media sites RT and Sputnik in Europe, setting the stage for retaliation from Russia. In blocking Russian state media in the region, the companies are complying with requests from the European Union and individual governments there to punish the media outlets for sharing misinformation and propaganda about Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Microsoft Providing 'Threat Intelligence' to Ukraine About Cyber Attacks

Microsoft said it’s been informing Ukraine about cyberattacks on civilian and military targets, though the software maker didn’t attribute the attacks to any specific actors. “In recent days, we have provided threat intelligence and defensive suggestions to Ukrainian officials regarding attacks on a range of targets, including Ukrainian military institutions and manufacturers and several other Ukrainian government agencies,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, wrote in a blog post.

  • Read the article: CNBC

Meta to Restrict Access to Facebook for Russian-Controlled Media

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. said it would restrict access to Russian state-controlled media RT and Sputnik through its services across the European Union. “We have received requests from a number of governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state-controlled media,” Nick Clegg, Meta president of global affairs, wrote in a tweet. “Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.”

Despite Concerns of Cyberwarfare, Ukraine's Internet Still Functioning

For more than a decade, military commanders and outside experts have laid out blueprints for how cyberwar would unfold: military and civilian networks would be knocked offline, cutting-edge software would sabotage power plants, and whole populations would be unable to get money, gas or refrigerated food. But while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spawned all manner of cyberattacks and defenses, few are playing out the way the experts thought they would.

Ukraine Urging Apple to Support Sanctions, Stop Product Sales in Russia

Mykhailo Fedorov, who serves as Ukraine’s vice prime minister and oversees digital operations, urged Apple Inc. to halt product sales in Russia and shut down its App Store in the country. The government official made the request in a letter to Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook that he posted on Twitter. Fedorov also said Apple should support the U.S. sanctions placed on Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Some Russian Banking Customers Blocked from Apple Pay, Google Pay

Following Western sanctions on Russia’s financial institutions in response to the invasion of Ukraine, customers of several of the country’s largest banks can no longer use their debit and credit cards in conjunction with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Among the affected organizations include VTB Group, Sovcombank, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, and Otkritie FC Bank, according to a press release from the Central Bank of Russia spotted by Business Insider.

Russian Ransomware Group Vows to Retaliate Against Cyberwarfare

Russian ransomware group Conti has warned that it will deploy its "full capacity to deliver retaliatory measures" if the U.S. and its Western allies use cyberwarfare as a measure against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The threat applies if there's an "attempt to target critical infrastructure in Russia or any Russian speaking region of the world," Conti said in a blog post, as reported earlier Friday by Reuters.

  • Read the article: CNET

Russia Partially Restricting Access to Facebook, Accuses It of Censorship

Russia will partially restrict access to Facebook, according to state-owned media. RIA Novosti, the state-owned news agency, reported that Russian officials decided to recognize Facebook as “involved in the violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms” and accused the platform of having “censored” the Russian media outlet.

Security Officials Fear Cyberattacks, Increase Monitoring of Networks

Weeks of warnings from Western security officials that cyberattacks in Ukraine could spread globally have pushed international companies into an uncomfortable waiting game. As foreign businesses watched Russia invade Ukraine in recent days, an accompanying surge in cyber threats has raised the stakes, pushing some companies to increase monitoring of their networks or move customer data out of harm’s way.

Internet Connectivity Disrupted in Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion

Internet connectivity in Ukraine has been affected by the Russian invasion, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest, internet monitors said. Russian forces captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, as Moscow launched coordinated cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities, including the capital Kyiv.

Official Kremlin Website Down After Reports of Denial of Service Attacks

The official website of the Kremlin, the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin, kremlin.ru, was down on Saturday, following reports of denial of service (DDoS) attacks on various other Russian government and state media websites. The outages came as Ukraine's vice prime minister said it had launched an 'IT army' to combat Russia in cyberspace.

Russia Blocks Access to Twitter, Which Vows to Keep Service Accessible

As the invasion of Ukraine enters its third day, Russia has blocked access to Twitter in an apparent effort to stifle the flow of information, according to a report from the internet monitoring group NetBlocks. NetBlocks saw failed or heavily throttled connections across every major Russian telecom provider, including Rostelecom, MTS, Beeline, and MegaFon.

Nvidia Investigating Incident Reported as Malicious Network Intrusion

U.S. chipmaker Nvidia has confirmed that it’s investigating a cyber incident that has reportedly downed the company’s developer tools and email systems. Nvidia told TechCrunch in a statement that the nature and scope of the incident are still being evaluated, adding that the company’s commercial activities have not been impacted as a result.

Russian Authorities Push Tech Companies to Comply with Censorship Law

As Russia attacks Ukraine, the authorities in Moscow are intensifying a censorship campaign at home by squeezing some of the world’s biggest tech companies. Russian authorities warned Google, Meta, Apple, Twitter, TikTok and others that they had until the end of this month to comply with a new law that requires them to set up legal entities in the country.

Meta, YouTube Bar Russian Media from Earning Revenue on Their Platforms

Social media platforms are preventing Russian-backed media from earning ad revenue as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. The head of security policy at Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced that Russian state media would not be able to earn money from ads on the company's platforms. Following the move, YouTube said Russian channels, including state-owned network RT, would be barred from receiving money from ads on its platform, Reuters reported.

U.S. Officials Present Biden with Options for Cyberattacks Against Russia

President Joe Biden has been presented with a menu of options for the U.S. to carry out massive cyberattacks designed to disrupt Russia’s ability to sustain its military operations in Ukraine, four people familiar with the deliberations tell NBC News. Two U.S. intelligence officials, one Western intelligence official and another person briefed on the matter say no final decisions have been made, but they say U.S. intelligence and military cyber warriors are proposing the use of American cyberweapons on a scale never before contemplated.

Patreon Suspends Crowdfunding Page Supporting Ukraine's Military

Patreon says it’s suspended the crowdfunding page for “Come Back Alive,” a Ukrainian NGO that was collecting money to support the the country’s military in response to Russian aggression. In a statement given to CNBC, the platform said it “does not allow any campaigns involved in violence or purchasing of military equipment, regardless of their cause.” Come Back Alive’s page said that funds would be used to train soldiers, as well as provide technical equipment, according to Patreon’s blog post.

Governors Urge Congress to Finalize Semiconductor Subsidy Bill

A bipartisan group of 22 governors urged leaders in Congress to move quickly to finalize $52 billion in government funding to subsidize the production of semiconductor chips. A persistent industry-wide shortage of chips has disrupted production in the automotive and electronics industries, in particular, forcing some firms to scale back production.

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