How the Collapse of the Soviet Union Made Russia a Great Cyber Power
By Alec Jackson
| April 26, 2024
As a result of the unique circumstances created by the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has developed disproportionate cyber power relative to its economic stature. Russia is only the world’s eleventh-largest economy by gross domestic product (GDP), and its information technology (IT) sector constituted just under 6% of the country’s GDP before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Despite these limitations, Russia is commonly recognized as an elite cyber power. Importantly, Russia relies heavily on cyber professionals from outside its security agencies, including talent from the private sector and associated with organized criminal groups (OCGs), to conduct offensive cyber operations on the state’s behalf. However, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a mass exodus in Russian IT professionals occurred and this presents the West with a unique opportunity to weaken Russia’s power in the cyber domain.
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