Cybersecurity emerged as a central theme at the 15th Russian Internet Governance Forum (RIGF 2025). During the opening session, Alexander Shoitov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media of Russia, emphasized the importance of this topic. He announced that a new state system to counter online fraud will be launched in 2026, incorporating the existing Antiphishing service alongside new measures, including legislative initiatives and comprehensive IT solutions.
At the plenary session Runet Digital Security: Between Sovereignty and Global Challenges, moderator Anton Nemkin – a member of the State Duma and coordinator of the federal party project Digital Russia – noted that phishing remains the most prevalent type of fraud in Russia. Last year alone, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) blocked access to nearly 70,000 phishing websites based on court rulings and requests from the General Prosecutor’s Office. Nemkin urged participants to focus on key issues: the digital threat landscape, measures to counter cyber fraud and cybercrime, development of digital infrastructure, training qualified IT personnel, and creating competitive domestic software products.
Participants also debated whether to support the return of foreign IT companies or prioritize protecting the interests of Russia’s IT sector. Representatives of regional authorities shared experiences transitioning to domestic state information systems, establishing regional cybersecurity threat response centers, and ensuring the protection of users’ personal data.
Anton Nemkin stressed that existing legislation is not a panacea but merely a first step in the complex effort to combat threats on Runet.
“Ahead lie new measures to counter deepfakes, droppers, and the rental of verified accounts on messaging platforms and digital services, including Gosuslugi (Public Services),” he added.
The discussion included Igor Alekseyev (Positive Technologies), Sergey Belyakov (Cyberus Foundation), Stanislav Loginov (Department of Informatization, Tyumen Region), Sergey Plugotarenko (ANO Digital Economy), Maxim Sonikov (Ministry of Digital Development, Information Technologies, and Communications of the Ryazan Region), Vladimir Todorov (Rambler&Co, Lenta.ru), and Alexey Eteyev (Government of the Republic of Kalmykia).
Child online safety was addressed at the session Children Online: Technology and Safety, moderated by Urvan Parfentyev (Safe Internet Center, Nedopusti Foundation). Experts discussed key online threats and debated strategies for fostering critical thinking and digital hygiene skills in children. Practical recommendations for verifying online information and identifying potentially dangerous content received particular attention.
Yelizaveta Belyakova, Chair of the Alliance for the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment, highlighted that Russian children may only register on social networks from age 14.
“If a child registers earlier, parents bear responsibility. They must implement parental controls and decide what content their child accesses online. Due to their age, children lack developed critical thinking and cannot distinguish reliable information from falsehoods – they believe everything they see online. Thus, it’s crucial to recognize that social responsibility extends not only to businesses and the state but first and foremost to parents,” she stated.
Olga Bochkova, founder and head of the Olga Bochkova Security Academy, underscored the importance of cultivating critical thinking in young people:
“We live in an era where every news item can become a tool for manipulation. Today, critical thinking is not just a useful skill – it is our personal digital immunity against information aggression. Equally vital is the ability to ask the right questions and recognize hidden threats. Protecting personal information boundaries starts with filtering content and analyzing received information.”
The session also featured Anna Ivanova (Rambler&Co) and Yekaterina Starostina (M1Cloud, IThub College).
At the session Guidelines for Countering Digital Disinformation, moderated by Timofey Vi – an expert at the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) and head of strategic development at ANO Dialog – participants discussed the rapid growth of fake content, potential mechanisms to curb it, and balancing cybersecurity with free speech and self-expression.
Timofei Vi cited data from a GFCN study: over three months in 2025, Russia detected 61 unique deepfakes and 2,300 copies, equaling 67% of all deepfakes identified in 2024 and 2.6 times the total recorded in 2023. The study also revealed key trends in fake content creation and distribution. Compared to 2024, socially and economically themed misinformation rose by 11% in 2025.
“Recent years have seen a sharp increase in regional fakes, as confirmed by GFCN research. Another key trend is the decline in views of fakes related to the special military operation – down 54% compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to fewer such fakes overall. Last year, we observed a significant surge in disinformation after Ukraine’s psychological operations center, following the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ incursion into the Kursk Region, mass-produced and distributed deepfakes featuring governors of border regions. We also note evolving fake content: concrete assertions are becoming value judgments, while media landscapes in some unfriendly countries are saturated with materials lacking facts or evidence,” the expert noted.
Ilya Yemelin, Director of Content Management at RUTUBE, emphasized the need for joint efforts by the state and businesses to combat fakes:
“State regulation must not devolve into censorship. As a social network, we bear full responsibility for platform content, which is why we deploy AI-driven content self-moderation systems. However, no existing systems can automatically and accurately identify fake content. Moreover, user-generated content can be destructive – in Q1 2025 alone, we removed approximately 500,000 videos containing scam links.”
Other session participants included Lidia Vitkova (Gazinformservis Cybersecurity Analytical Center, St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences), Anton Gorelkin (State Duma of the Russian Federation, ROCIT), Yury Kolotayev (St Petersburg State University), and Lily Ong (Geopolitics360, Singapore/USA).
Stay tuned for further updates on the 15th Russian Internet Governance Forum!
