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Despite Sanctions, Russian Organisations Acquire Microsoft Software (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the finding-workarounds dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: Software produced by Microsoft has been acquired by state organizations and firms in Russia and Crimea despite sanctions barring U.S-based companies from doing business with them, official documents show. The acquisitions, registered on the Russian state procurement database, show the limitations in the way foreign governments and firms enforce the U.S. sanctions, imposed on Russia over its annexation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Some of the users gave Microsoft fictitious data about their identity, people involved in the transactions told Reuters, exploiting a gap in the U.S. company's ability to keep its products out of their hands. The products in each case were sold via third parties and Reuters has no evidence that Microsoft sold products directly to entities hit by the sanctions. "Microsoft has a strong commitment to complying with legal requirements and we have been looking into this matter in recent weeks," a Microsoft representative said in an emailed response to questions from Reuters.

25 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. or the bizzarro world title... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Despite Warnings, American Companies Acquire Kaspersky Software

    1. Re:or the bizzarro world title... by Sperbels · · Score: 1

      I believe we've already been caught doing this with the firmware in our routers.

  2. They dont care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    They dont care because the jokes on them and us. It's full of backdoors!

    1. Re:They dont care by NicknameUnavailable · · Score: 1

      Pretty sure if Russia is actively listing having bought Microsoft software on a publicly-visible portal for anything even remotely mission critical it's a for a fake network meant as a decoy to prevent the US from bothering to hack into the real ones, thereby providing a false sense of security to US intelligence agencies in case they aim to use a cyber weapon (aka, a state-made virus.)

  3. Reddit by Harold+Halloway · · Score: 1

    Presumably they just bought it from https://www.reddit.com/r/micro... like the rest of us?

    1. Re:Reddit by bitbybitbybitcoin · · Score: 1

      I'll bet they even got the student discount!

    2. Re:Reddit by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 2

      I don't buy that kind of software, but this is quite informative!

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    3. Re:Reddit by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 1

      What Microsoft could do to block this is implement a licensing activation system in all their software where it won't run unless activated online. Then they could track which software was being illegally used in Russia and prevent it from running. I think they should get to work on that immediately.

    4. Re:Reddit by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      You are aware of consumer laws, at least a little bit, yes, no, maybe. Conditions of sale in most countries need to be clearly stated at the point of sale and unlike corrupt US states, post purchase agreements have no legal binding because of the costs of making that purchase are not refunded with the purchase (reviewing store and product, going to store, returning from store, installing product, all should be refunded, including installing the product and returning to the store). Now many countries rule those conditions of sale need to be set out as clearly and sales promises, not find print at the back of the sign, down the bottom and covered up with masking tape. Once sold control should cease, when it doesn't under reasonable and fair consumer rights countries, that company that did it will be severely punished.

      You also have to be extremely careful when using private sources to carry government policy. There is a big difference between saying you are not allowed to do something and saying you have to do something, especially in other countries when you are bound by other laws. The Russian government could quite simply make it illegal to block trade with the Crimea if you want to trade with the rest of Russia and a bunch of US and EU companies would be in deep shit.

      Personally I would enjoy an opportunity to work in the Crimea, mostly just to piss off the US government, meh, I am not American (it would also be fun to be sanctioned by the US government, well economically not the eiger sanction variety (eiger sanction I picked that one because click bait in the news a lot lately and Google claims to want to do something about it, yeah, show more ads, they still wont allow logged in users to block crappy uploaders content), as long as I get a nice embossed certificate I can frame and put on show.

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      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  4. Isn't "You must run Microsoft" itself a sanction? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Using Microsoft software sure is a punishment.

  5. Online sanctions? What are those by bitbybitbybitcoin · · Score: 1

    What are those...

  6. I don't get it. by EnsilZah · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I assume Microsoft can't offer support for this software, and I very much doubt Russian authorities would crack down on the copyright infringement, so what's the point of paying for a license that holds no legal significance to anyone involved?

    1. Re:I don't get it. by Zontar_Thing_From_Ve · · Score: 1

      I assume Microsoft can't offer support for this software, and I very much doubt Russian authorities would crack down on the copyright infringement, so what's the point of paying for a license that holds no legal significance to anyone involved?

      I am asking this in all seriousness - Who actually needs support from Microsoft? If these Russian users are just using Office and Windows and they bought them for compatibility reasons, they don't care about support they were never going to use. Now if you tell me that a huge percentage of the software buys were for Exchange servers, I'd be a lot more inclined towards your argument.

    2. Re:I don't get it. by Kaenneth · · Score: 1

      Yar.

  7. I'm torn... by rnturn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Should I be worried that the Russians will get their hands on Microsoft product and learn where it's vulnerable and come up with ways to bring down the West's businesses? Or should I be comforted to know that the Russians will soon find their computing infrastructure subject to all the virii and worms that the West has to deal with?

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    1. Re:I'm torn... by Archtech · · Score: 1

      Since Mr Putin has ordered that all Russian government systems, at least, should be moved off American software as soon as possible, I don't think your second scenario is at all likely.

      "Amid U.S. effort to exclude Kaspersky, Putin backs plan to force out foreign software"
      https://www.cyberscoop.com/rus...

      And there is no need to worry that the stupid Russians won't be able to provide their own software:

      "In a study of hundreds of thousands of programmers, China and Russia were found to produce the best software developers"
      https://www.sott.net/article/3...

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      I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.
    2. Re:I'm torn... by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Re "Or should I be comforted to know that the Russians will soon find their computing infrastructure subject to all the virii and worms that the West has to deal with?"
      Smarter nations would have looked back over computer history. Learned from well placed spies about how software and networks get used by other nations.
      Fund their own new look Ada https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... and support a national hardware CPU effort?
      Keep on buying and using a network access point for the NSA, MI6, CIA, GCHQ?
      Have to keep skills in Western products as they run critical infrastructure, fun computer games and keep local industry working for exports?
      A change over to a national code base, domestic OS and hardware takes time but then every line of code is understood.
      A lost day, week, month, year of exports during a change over to a national OS and fully understood CPU?
      Keep exporting over the same time with US and EU OS/hardware that still works and only needs regular maintenance?

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      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  8. Re:How hard is to to bypass sanction? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    Either that or the U.S. agencies such as the CIA and NSA happen to overlook the sanctions because "in the spirit of good will".

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    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  9. Inexplicable by Archtech · · Score: 1

    "Despite Sanctions, Russian Organisations Acquire Microsoft Software"

    Why???

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    I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.
  10. Shooting themselves in the foot. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Informative

    If we're being honest with ourselves, there is no better way to destroy someone's "cybersecurity" than to have them rely on Microsoft products. Frankly, anyone relying on them is asking for trouble.

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    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  11. What software? by nuckfuts · · Score: 1

    "Software produced by Microsoft" could mean anything from "Windows Server 2016" to "Clippy". The article gives no indication what they're talking about.

  12. How do I get on the sanctions list? by BellyJelly · · Score: 1

    Cos I really struggle to buy computers without Microsoft software on them.

  13. If Microsoft realy want to comply by denisbergeron · · Score: 1

    If Microsoft realy want to comply with the sanctin, they should desactivate they software that run inside the Russian border.

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    Ceci n'est pas une Signature !
  14. Good day, my name is Middleman. by Mrakodrap · · Score: 1

    How may I help you accrue unobtainanium?

  15. They Acquired that Software?? by Neuronwelder · · Score: 1

    My sympathies..