Denis Rakhmanov

But it wouldn't surprise me in the least. I know I could do this for my employer's entire codebase of the last 30 years if I wanted to; it's not as sensitive as the type of software that is involved here but still.

Denies that it was a hack, just a leak by former employee.
If you have data already on your computer it's not really hacking

Nginx is an open source web server which can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy and HTTP cache. The software was created by Igor Sysoev while he was working at Rambler group in Russia and first publicly released in 2004. A company of the same name was founded in 2011 to provide support and Nginx plus paid software.
As of August 2019, Netcraft estimated Nginx served 32 percent of all active websites ranked, ranking it first just above Apache at 29 percent.
With recent acquisition by F5 Networks for $670 million Rambler decided that they want some of that money too and declared that Sysoev stole their property. It is known that Rambler itself used that software for the last 15 years and not complained for it being a stolen property.
 
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/12/13/russian-police-raid-us-owned-web-servers-moscow-office-a68606
https://www.zdnet.com/article/russian-police-raid-nginx-moscow-office/
 
 
In recent Interview with Sysoev's former boss, found here https://www.ixbt.com/news/2019/12/12/rambler-reshil-prisvoit-vebserver-nginx.html (sorry, only in russian) he told that there was a clause in Sysoev's contract allowing him to develop his software and that Rambler would not have any rights towards it.
 
Creating a big profitable business is a very risky in Russia. It is not the first time when big business was raided and sold for pennies to government or oligarchs, which shows that t is risky dealing business in Russia.

Standalone. It is one of biggest russian companies. even has their own selfdriving taxis currently testing in some cities

????

Because Russian laws are stupid and anti-human

RuTracker is banned in Russia. You can only access it via vpn( God bless pia)

Standalone. It is one of biggest russian companies. even has their own selfdriving taxis currently testing in some cities

Then Google counter plays with banning Russia!

Standalone. It is one of biggest russian companies. even has their own selfdriving taxis currently testing in some cities

Standalone. It is one of biggest russian companies. even has their own selfdriving taxis currently testing in some cities

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/russian-official-threatens-to-block-google/articleshow/67059089.cms
 
Russia became obsessed with censoring everything. This spring it tried to block popular messenger Telegram, accidentally banning about 20 million IPs from different service providers including AWS, PSN and many others, but due to built-in proxy telegram survived and became even popular. ( old story: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-telegram-ipaddresses/russia-blocks-google-amazon-ip-addresses-in-bid-to-ban-telegram-idUSKBN1HO1WM or here). Later they unban most of those IP, but oficcially telegram is still in ban(though it works perfectly fine).
 
Now the government tries to force Google to accept Russian rules. Google has been fined 700 000 roubles (10 400$), but they understood that it is too insignificant sum to affect Google's position.
Currently it is impossible due to Russian Laws to ban search engines, so they decided to change the laws, so it could affect Google.
https://www.ft.com/content/cd06a598-f180-11e8-ae55-df4bf40f9d0d
 
in case someone is interested in Russian source on this topic: https://www.interfax.ru/russia/641915

Probably the most extensive English source: https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-04-18/russia-s-war-on-telegram-expands-to-google-amazon-battlefields
 
[UPDATE 18th of April] source links:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/in-effort-to-shut-down-telegram-russia-blocks-amazon-google-network-addresses/
https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/17/telegram-plays-down-russia-block-claiming-no-significant-impact-yet/
 
Original:
Previously The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB in Russian) demanded encryption keys from Telegram messenger so it could monitor private activities. Telegram filed a lawsuit explaining that such demands are unconstitutional by Russian laws that should support Secrecy of correspondence. Telegram lost such lawsuit and was given 15 days to give up their encryption to FSS. Head of Telegram LLC Pavel Durov is saying "Threats to block Telegram unless it gives up private data of its users won't bear fruit. Telegram will stand for freedom and privacy."
 
 
 
russian source:
https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5ab0e3b99a79477cf2540d32
Thanks  @jj9987 for english source:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17142482/russia-orders-telegram-hand-over-user-encryption-keys
 
 
This is scary, if FSS demanded encryption keys from Telegram, it should probably asked other popular messengers in Russia as well (whatsapp, viber). And the fact that we are not hearing about them being banned in Russia makes me think that they have already provided all the information Russian government asked.
 
Update from 16th of April from the sinking ship:
 
Telegram is now officially banned in Russia, but this had no effect on users because app pushed an update to activate the inapp setting allowing to bypass blocking:

 
After that Russian government desided to block any affiliated IPs, affecting google services, Amazon Cloud, other messenger app(Viber) and some online games (e.g. Guild Wars 2, Splatoon 2). Number of blocked IPs in russia exceeded 1.8 millions

 
And all this measures haven't affected most of telegram users. 
 
Sources: 
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/privacy-is-not-for-sale-telegram-founder-says-after-being-banned-in-russia/
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/government/russia-bans-18-million-amazon-and-google-ips-in-attempt-to-block-telegram/
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/04/17/russia_blocks_google_aws_ip_addresses_to_get_telegram/
 
and more importantly, government spent more than 8.5 billion roubles to do this, and still couldn't block Telegram.
 
Russian government also asked Google Play and App Store to remove the telegram app from access. But decided also to restrict access from third party app repositeries, like APK mirror:
https://9to5mac.com/2018/04/17/russia-apple-ban-telegram-app-store/

 
All heil Freedom.
 
Update on 17th of April
Number of blocked IPs surpassed 2.5 million. Telegram still working.
Some rumors suggests that new batch of IPs affected MasterCard, though it is still not proven. i'll try to find suitable source when it is proven or disproven.

 
Update
16 millions IPs now. How did i get this information? News channel in Telegram:

 
 
AAAAAND IT HAPPEND
Regulatory organisation RosKomNadzor even blocked itself. Telegram still works just fine:

Russian internet publishers got access to the letter from RosKomNadzor to ISPs explaining that they added their own IPs to the list of banned IPs and asked ISPs to unblock them. I don't know if you will be satisfied with Russian source: https://geektimes.ru/company/nag/blog/300073/

 
 
Pavel Durov(owner of Telegram) said in his official telegram Channel:
In order to support so-called Digital Resistance he is willing to spend millions of his own money to donate to proxy and VPN providers.

  [UPDATE 20 of April] It is now known that real reason behind banning telegram was not the fact that it declined to cooperate with russian government but the fact that Durov is planning to launch his own cryptocurrency (it already gathered more than billion dollars in ICO). Russian government is afraid that it can disrupt the market. Once again i am deeply sorry for providing russian news source, i'll try to post English source as well when i find one: https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/20/04/2018/5ad8c53a9a7947ec8d8c1ed5?from=main   FSB contact says that "Story not about it at all, how can't you understand! It is not about keys or terrorism"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
funny meme: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/394517831364116481/435745104351854592/video.mp4

Telegram encription works in a way that even themselves don't have access to conversations. thts the whole their selling point.

Let me remind you that Apple refused to unlock the phone belonged to terrorist. And i admire that move, i can be sure that Apple values me as a customer.
 
Terrorists also breath the same air, drive same cars, wear the same clothes. Should we ban all the manufactures that produce any type of tools or goods terrorists use?
 
And telegram actively bans any accounts suspecting in terrorism, so it is not because they don't want to battle terrorist, it is because Telegram as a company values its customers and refuses to give access to private messaging to third parties.

Probably the most extensive English source: https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-04-18/russia-s-war-on-telegram-expands-to-google-amazon-battlefields
 
[UPDATE 18th of April] source links:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/in-effort-to-shut-down-telegram-russia-blocks-amazon-google-network-addresses/
https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/17/telegram-plays-down-russia-block-claiming-no-significant-impact-yet/
 
Original:
Previously The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB in Russian) demanded encryption keys from Telegram messenger so it could monitor private activities. Telegram filed a lawsuit explaining that such demands are unconstitutional by Russian laws that should support Secrecy of correspondence. Telegram lost such lawsuit and was given 15 days to give up their encryption to FSS. Head of Telegram LLC Pavel Durov is saying "Threats to block Telegram unless it gives up private data of its users won't bear fruit. Telegram will stand for freedom and privacy."
 
 
 
russian source:
https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5ab0e3b99a79477cf2540d32
Thanks  @jj9987 for english source:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17142482/russia-orders-telegram-hand-over-user-encryption-keys
 
 
This is scary, if FSS demanded encryption keys from Telegram, it should probably asked other popular messengers in Russia as well (whatsapp, viber). And the fact that we are not hearing about them being banned in Russia makes me think that they have already provided all the information Russian government asked.
 
Update from 16th of April from the sinking ship:
 
Telegram is now officially banned in Russia, but this had no effect on users because app pushed an update to activate the inapp setting allowing to bypass blocking:

 
After that Russian government desided to block any affiliated IPs, affecting google services, Amazon Cloud, other messenger app(Viber) and some online games (e.g. Guild Wars 2, Splatoon 2). Number of blocked IPs in russia exceeded 1.8 millions

 
And all this measures haven't affected most of telegram users. 
 
Sources: 
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/privacy-is-not-for-sale-telegram-founder-says-after-being-banned-in-russia/
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/government/russia-bans-18-million-amazon-and-google-ips-in-attempt-to-block-telegram/
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/04/17/russia_blocks_google_aws_ip_addresses_to_get_telegram/
 
and more importantly, government spent more than 8.5 billion roubles to do this, and still couldn't block Telegram.
 
Russian government also asked Google Play and App Store to remove the telegram app from access. But decided also to restrict access from third party app repositeries, like APK mirror:
https://9to5mac.com/2018/04/17/russia-apple-ban-telegram-app-store/

 
All heil Freedom.
 
Update on 17th of April
Number of blocked IPs surpassed 2.5 million. Telegram still working.
Some rumors suggests that new batch of IPs affected MasterCard, though it is still not proven. i'll try to find suitable source when it is proven or disproven.

 
Update
16 millions IPs now. How did i get this information? News channel in Telegram:

 
 
AAAAAND IT HAPPEND
Regulatory organisation RosKomNadzor even blocked itself. Telegram still works just fine:

Russian internet publishers got access to the letter from RosKomNadzor to ISPs explaining that they added their own IPs to the list of banned IPs and asked ISPs to unblock them. I don't know if you will be satisfied with Russian source: https://geektimes.ru/company/nag/blog/300073/

 
 
Pavel Durov(owner of Telegram) said in his official telegram Channel:
In order to support so-called Digital Resistance he is willing to spend millions of his own money to donate to proxy and VPN providers.

  [UPDATE 20 of April] It is now known that real reason behind banning telegram was not the fact that it declined to cooperate with russian government but the fact that Durov is planning to launch his own cryptocurrency (it already gathered more than billion dollars in ICO). Russian government is afraid that it can disrupt the market. Once again i am deeply sorry for providing russian news source, i'll try to post English source as well when i find one: https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/20/04/2018/5ad8c53a9a7947ec8d8c1ed5?from=main   FSB contact says that "Story not about it at all, how can't you understand! It is not about keys or terrorism"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
funny meme: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/394517831364116481/435745104351854592/video.mp4

Let me remind you that Apple refused to unlock the phone belonged to terrorist. And i admire that move, i can be sure that Apple values me as a customer.
 
Terrorists also breath the same air, drive same cars, wear the same clothes. Should we ban all the manufactures that produce any type of tools or goods terrorists use?
 
And telegram actively bans any accounts suspecting in terrorism, so it is not because they don't want to battle terrorist, it is because Telegram as a company values its customers and refuses to give access to private messaging to third parties.

As someone living in russia i can say this: yes it can, i use PIA (thanks LTT advertisement for this service) on PC. i also use socks5 proxy provided also by them on my phone and it works great.
Some of my contacts aren't tech savvy and they decided to install telegram today in the middle of blocking. app on phone still works without any additional manipulations.

that's why I like Telegram network, it's stll private

Probably the most extensive English source: https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-04-18/russia-s-war-on-telegram-expands-to-google-amazon-battlefields
 
[UPDATE 18th of April] source links:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/in-effort-to-shut-down-telegram-russia-blocks-amazon-google-network-addresses/
https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/17/telegram-plays-down-russia-block-claiming-no-significant-impact-yet/
 
Original:
Previously The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB in Russian) demanded encryption keys from Telegram messenger so it could monitor private activities. Telegram filed a lawsuit explaining that such demands are unconstitutional by Russian laws that should support Secrecy of correspondence. Telegram lost such lawsuit and was given 15 days to give up their encryption to FSS. Head of Telegram LLC Pavel Durov is saying "Threats to block Telegram unless it gives up private data of its users won't bear fruit. Telegram will stand for freedom and privacy."
 
 
 
russian source:
https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/5ab0e3b99a79477cf2540d32
Thanks  @jj9987 for english source:
https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17142482/russia-orders-telegram-hand-over-user-encryption-keys
 
 
This is scary, if FSS demanded encryption keys from Telegram, it should probably asked other popular messengers in Russia as well (whatsapp, viber). And the fact that we are not hearing about them being banned in Russia makes me think that they have already provided all the information Russian government asked.
 
Update from 16th of April from the sinking ship:
 
Telegram is now officially banned in Russia, but this had no effect on users because app pushed an update to activate the inapp setting allowing to bypass blocking:

 
After that Russian government desided to block any affiliated IPs, affecting google services, Amazon Cloud, other messenger app(Viber) and some online games (e.g. Guild Wars 2, Splatoon 2). Number of blocked IPs in russia exceeded 1.8 millions

 
And all this measures haven't affected most of telegram users. 
 
Sources: 
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/04/privacy-is-not-for-sale-telegram-founder-says-after-being-banned-in-russia/
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/government/russia-bans-18-million-amazon-and-google-ips-in-attempt-to-block-telegram/
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/04/17/russia_blocks_google_aws_ip_addresses_to_get_telegram/
 
and more importantly, government spent more than 8.5 billion roubles to do this, and still couldn't block Telegram.
 
Russian government also asked Google Play and App Store to remove the telegram app from access. But decided also to restrict access from third party app repositeries, like APK mirror:
https://9to5mac.com/2018/04/17/russia-apple-ban-telegram-app-store/

 
All heil Freedom.
 
Update on 17th of April
Number of blocked IPs surpassed 2.5 million. Telegram still working.
Some rumors suggests that new batch of IPs affected MasterCard, though it is still not proven. i'll try to find suitable source when it is proven or disproven.

 
Update
16 millions IPs now. How did i get this information? News channel in Telegram:

 
 
AAAAAND IT HAPPEND
Regulatory organisation RosKomNadzor even blocked itself. Telegram still works just fine:

Russian internet publishers got access to the letter from RosKomNadzor to ISPs explaining that they added their own IPs to the list of banned IPs and asked ISPs to unblock them. I don't know if you will be satisfied with Russian source: https://geektimes.ru/company/nag/blog/300073/

 
 
Pavel Durov(owner of Telegram) said in his official telegram Channel:
In order to support so-called Digital Resistance he is willing to spend millions of his own money to donate to proxy and VPN providers.

  [UPDATE 20 of April] It is now known that real reason behind banning telegram was not the fact that it declined to cooperate with russian government but the fact that Durov is planning to launch his own cryptocurrency (it already gathered more than billion dollars in ICO). Russian government is afraid that it can disrupt the market. Once again i am deeply sorry for providing russian news source, i'll try to post English source as well when i find one: https://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/20/04/2018/5ad8c53a9a7947ec8d8c1ed5?from=main   FSB contact says that "Story not about it at all, how can't you understand! It is not about keys or terrorism"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
funny meme: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/394517831364116481/435745104351854592/video.mp4

Look at the bright side. It won't be able to get into any sexual harassment scandals.

Sorry, my mistake

Russian presidential election is coming and creators of AI Alisa announced that they are planing to have it listed in a ballot as first ever AI to join presidential race.
Probably it's just a joke and probably they couldn't do it by law.
unfortunately, i couldn't find English source as of today, so here's some links on russian
https://lenta.ru/news/2017/12/06/alisa/
https://futurist.ru/news/5028-golosovoy-pomoshchnik-alisa-ballotiruetsya-na-post-prezidenta-rf
 
Official page:
https://alisa2018.ru
Translation of some of the stuff:
slogan: A President that knows you personally
 
6 reasons to trust an AI with a country:
 
Calculated decisions. AI don't guided by emotions and doesn't seek personal profit. Every step is thoroughly calculated and it behaves honestly
 
immediate response. AI can handle information several times faster than human brain.
 
Available 24/7. You can talk to her anytime of the day 7 days a week and not just once a year on TV (Putin holds yearly live Q&A on central TV)
 
Listens to everybody. Everyday Alisa is talking to millions of people and every response helps make a country better
 
Wont became old and obsolete. She doesn't know what fatigue is. She gets smarter with age and not slower like people.
 
Alisa knows you.She knows everything about your problems and will remember you even if you talked to her only once.
 
 
 
If she really becomes a choice in our election i would vote for her.
 
[7 hours later] Here's first English source: https://www.rt.com/news/412227-alice-bot-yandex-presidential-bid/
[small update] apparently its not a devs decision, but some businessmen and AI itself. Developer company Yandex says that they won't stand in their way.

I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

Look at the bright side. It won't be able to get into any sexual harassment scandals.