Seven Russian banks have moved to a certificate authority run by the state

3 hours ago

Major Russian banks have started using TLS certificates issued by Russia's Ministry of Digital Development, replacing certificates from Chinese authority TrustAsia.
The switch is uneven, with some banks only partially migrating and one still using a US-based Let's Encrypt certificate.
No major browser trusts the Ministry's root certificate, so users must install it manually, which could allow the government to intercept traffic to any domain.
The state root certificate has existed since 2022, but adoption lagged due to security concerns and previous blocking by tech companies.
Banks previously switched from GlobalSign to HARICA after sanctions, then to TrustAsia, and now to the Russian state certificate.
Banks have also circumvented Apple's app store bans by repackaging their apps as unrelated tools.
Mediazona, the source of this report, is seeking donations to maintain operations.

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