Demand for VPNs in Russia, Ukraine leaps as web management tightens

MOSCOW, Feb 28 (Reuters) – As Russian and Ukrainian web sites fall sufferer to cyber assaults and Moscow restricts entry to some overseas social media, web customers throughout each international locations have turned to on-line instruments to assist circumvent the blocks.

Demand for Digital Personal Networks (VPNs) that encrypt knowledge and obscure the place a consumer is situated has soared, knowledge from monitoring agency Top10VPN confirmed, peaking 354% larger in Russia on Sunday when in comparison with the day by day common from Feb. 16-23.

Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a “particular operation”, invaded its neighbour on Feb. 24, attacking from land, sea and air. At residence, it’s battling to regulate the narrative, threatening restrictions on overseas and native media that stray from its official model of occasions. learn extra

Pictures and movies had been gradual to load on Fb, owned by Meta Platforms Inc (FB.O), and Twitter (TWTR.N), each of which have been focused by state communications regulator Roskomnadzor.

“VPN demand surged in Russia as authorities restricted Fb and Twitter over the weekend in a bid to regulate the circulate of data from its invasion of Ukraine,” Top10VPN mentioned.

Russia banned a number of VPNs final 12 months, however has failed to dam them fully, as a part of a wider marketing campaign critics say stifles web freedom.

In Ukraine, Russian hackers had been blamed for a spate of cyberattacks that briefly knocked Ukrainian banking and authorities web sites offline, days earlier than the invasion. Russia denied involvement. learn extra

VPN demand in Ukraine started noticeably growing on Feb. 15 in gentle of cyberattacks, Top10VPN mentioned, and skyrocketed after the invasion, with demand peaking 424% larger than the day by day common within the first half of February.

On Monday, the web sites of a number of Russian media shops had been hacked, with their common websites changed by an anti-war message and calls to cease President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. learn extra

Reporting by Reuters in Moscow; Enhancing by Toby Chopra

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