Sovereignty, anti-fraud attempts emphasized at Moscow cyber conference
(MENAFN) Last week, Moscow hosted its largest-ever Positive Hack Days Festival (PHDays Fest), bringing together delegations from 40 countries to discuss reducing dependence on Big Tech and combating the rise of AI-assisted cyber fraud. Since its inception in 2011 by Russian cybersecurity company Positive Technologies, the event has evolved into a major international forum for government officials and industry leaders.
This year’s festival attracted approximately 150,000 in-person attendees at the Luzhniki venue and over 180,000 participants online. Notable international speakers included Eduardo Megias, Mexico’s Ambassador to Russia, and Ahmed Mustafa Al-Issawi, an advisor to the Qatar-based Al Adid Business Foundation.
A key focus of the conference was digital sovereignty, highlighting Russia’s efforts to adapt after losing access to Western technology services following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Yury Maksimov, founder and former CEO of Positive Technologies, called for moving away from what he described as the “authoritarianism” of dominant software developers. He suggested that smaller firms could thrive by adopting a knowledge-sharing approach that empowers clients to manage their own cybersecurity, fostering global expertise and collaborative advantages.
The fight against cybercrime was also emphasized. Danil Filippov from Russia’s Interior Ministry revealed that nearly half of crimes in Russia—ranging from financial fraud to incitement to terrorism—originate abroad. Elman Mekhtiev, a consultant to the Bank of Russia, warned that advancements in AI-powered real-time translation tools will soon remove language barriers for cybercriminals.
The festival featured a cyberwarfare championship, where over 40 hacker teams competed in simulated attacks on critical infrastructure. Attendees also experienced “Fraud Roulette,” a live project by T-bank connecting volunteers with phone scammers to waste their time. The initiative resulted in 617 calls totaling over 10 hours, causing scammers an estimated $1,600 in lost revenue.
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