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Technological cooperation as the basis of digital sovereignty: over 40 countries discussed the idea of cybersecurity collaboration at PHDays Fest
The international cybersecurity festival Positive Hack Days, hosted by Positive Technologies, a leader in result-driven cybersecurity, took place in Moscow's Luzhniki sports complex on May 22–24. The event was supported by the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia. The Moscow Government acted as a strategic partner: this year's cyberfestival received support from the Social Development Complex, the Department of Information Technology, and the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development. How can we ensure a secure digital future for everyone and build sovereign cybersecurity in every country? How can we achieve technological independence and professional readiness to autonomously maintain cyber resilience under any circumstances, using only our own cybersecurity specialists? Is it possible for a country to train skilled personnel independently, without interacting with experts from other countries and global industry leaders? These were just a few of the questions that delegations from over 40 countries, including Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, discussed at the largest cybersecurity forum. Among the participants were representatives of government bodies and cybersecurity agencies, business leaders, renowned tech experts, software developers, and ethical hackers. This PHDays Fest has been the largest in its history since 2011. Over 150,000 people visited the three-day event, with more than 180,000 viewers tuning in online. The technical sessions were grouped in 26 tracks and featured 270 talks covering key cybersecurity issues. More than 500 speakers participated in the festival, ranging from budding tech enthusiasts to top specialists, CIOs, and CISOs of major IT companies. Geopolitical confrontations have exposed the problem of the world's digital architecture: dominant control by large vendors and the infringement of individual countries' interests through restricted access to technology and equipment. Global tech giants wield enormous influence; dependence on them can paralyze a national economy and undermine technological sovereignty. It was previously believed that there were hardly any worthy alternatives to their solutions in the global market. However, Russia managed to maintain digital sovereignty by combining the efforts of government agencies and strong domestic vendors: since 2022, it has been rapidly developing its own technologies, solutions, and services with a focus on security. Having successfully mastered these challenges, Russia can share its unique experience in achieving digital autonomy with friendly countries and partners. An innovative idea on how to achieve digital sovereignty was proposed at PHDays Fest by Positive Technologies. The concept is based on the idea that strategic cooperation and mutual exchange of expertise can become a source of strength. For example, when developing technologies or products, partners depend on each other only in terms of sharing knowledge and practical experience. Such synergy can be achieved by moving away from the traditional schemes of importing IT and cybersecurity solutions, which plunge countries into complete dependence on suppliers. Instead, cooperative partners, whether countries or commercial enterprises, can progress together by complementing each other. The concept was positively received by Russian experts and supported by delegates from other countries. Positive Technologies declared its willingness not only to launch this initiative, but also to take a leading role in its implementation. The company's experts are ready to openly share their unique experience in the field of cybersecurity, accumulated over more than two decades, with friendly countries. They offer practical expertise in protecting individual facilities and entire economic sectors, as well as methods for developing effective cybersecurity systems. To foster the growth of local professional talent, the company will act as a mentor and allocate resources to train and upskill cybersecurity specialists and ethical hackers. Positive Technologies also intends to develop local expert communities. This way, the vendor will help partners establish the necessary technological foundation and properly build a sovereign cybersecurity industry, which the partners will be able to maintain and improve independently, relying on their own well-trained and highly qualified specialists. The company took its first steps in this direction in 2024, specifically by launching an international training program for cybersecurity professionals. In addition, Positive Technologies helps to enhance the competencies of cybersecurity leaders in financial institutions of the Gulf countries to better protect the local financial sector. The idea of co-developing new digital architectures that would be based on security principles and prevent situations where a few large vendors have unlimited power, as well as the idea of working together to fill the gaps in cybersecurity education through expertise transfer were consistent themes throughout the forum sessions during the festival. The business program included over a dozen discussions and plenary sessions. International participants particularly noted the relevance and global significance of the issues raised. Digital sovereignty: eliminating dependency through international cooperation The subject of the plenary session opening the forum was digital sovereignty—the ability of a country to ensure its technological independence and security. As emphasized by Maksut Shadayev, the Russian Minister of Digital Development, this primarily means protecting the interests of users and national security, regardless of external pressure. In his opinion, special attention should be given to the uninterrupted operation of services and maintaining citizens' access to advanced technologies. Eduardo Villegas Megías, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to Russia, confirmed that the issue of technological dependency is global in nature. As the diplomat noted, technological lag is embedded at a fundamental level. Even when working with popular programming languages like Python, strong English skills are required. This creates a sense of dependency and additional barriers to technological development. The energy sector is facing especially serious challenges in the current geopolitical situation, according to Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev. The far-reaching digitalization of the industry, on the one hand, opens up new opportunities, but on the other, makes it a target for cyberattacks. However, if a country isolates itself within its national borders, it will be left behind in the face of rapid technological advancement. To ensure the industry's competitive position, the Ministry of Energy has developed a 2050 strategy that aims to create world-leading technologies. However, no single country can ensure full technological security on its own. International exchange of experience and collaborative development of solutions are essential, according to Ahmed Mustafa Al-Issawi, Director of the Personal Office of H.E. Sheikh Suheim bin Ahmed Al Thani and Investment Director of Al Adid Business. Qatar is actively developing as an international hub for technological innovation, bringing together leading companies in the fields of cybersecurity and big data. Special attention is given to educational programs: scholarship initiatives enable students to study cybersecurity at universities in various countries, including Russia. Having originated from a community of hacking enthusiasts, the cybersecurity industry has maintained a spirit of cooperation: fundamental interests of different companies often align despite the competitive environment. The annual PHDays Fest shows that even competing companies can work together effectively to address common challenges related to digital sovereignty. In the modern world, technological sovereignty requires a new approach: a shift from isolationism to strategic cooperation. Attempts by individual countries to independently develop complete analogues of all foreign technologies from scratch are destined to fail, resulting in a futile race. Yury Maksimov, co-founder of Cyberus, noted that the solution lies in jointly building a new digital architecture where collaboration becomes a strategic advantage, not dependency. Between innovation and risk: how to manage technology The panel discussion "Humanless technology: liberation from routine or path to digital slavery?" delved into how to control digitalization without stifling innovation. Journalist and TV host Vladimir Pozner, who moderated the session, emphasized that the rapid development of technology is a global challenge and has the potential to change people. According to Sergey Kravtsov, the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, digital products are primarily commercial products that people, especially children, can become addicted to. Therefore, these products should be consumed in moderation. At the same time, the minister noted that the education system needs technology, but it must be safe. According to Andrey Belevtsev, Senior Vice President and Head of Technology Development at Sberbank, developers should establish technology development guidelines from the early stages to ensure that their products remain safe as they mature. The speaker added that in the case of generative artificial intelligence, it is fundamentally important to integrate standards of expected behavior into the models, test the algorithms for compliance with these requirements, and monitor all development stages. According to Denis Baranov, CEO of Positive Technologies, when new technologies emerge in the world, they are immediately adopted by experts, ordinary citizens, and cybercriminals alike. Digital products have become widely accessible, and their development is unstoppable.
Millions for bugs: total rewards for ethical hackers on Standoff Bug Bounty exceed 240 million rubles
To celebrate the platform's third anniversary, 17 organizations were awarded for their contributions to the advancement of the Russian bug bounty market During the international cyberfestival Positive Hack Days, the Standoff Bug Bounty platform summarized its progress over the past three years. Since its launch, Standoff Bug Bounty has attracted nearly 25,000 cybersecurity researchers from 60 countries worldwide. The total amount of rewards during this period was 242 million Russian rubles. Over 100 bug bounty programs have been published on the platform, each contributing to the enhancement of business and government security. An award ceremony for the best bug bounty program owners took place during the plenary session of PHDays Fest on Saturday, May 24. From May 2022 to May 2025, more than 25,000 bug hunters from 60 countries in Asia, the CIS, the Middle East, as well as Europe, Africa, and Latin America registered for Standoff Bug Bounty. Over the past year and a half, the number of ethical hackers on the platform has more than tripled, and the total number of vulnerability reports submitted has increased more than fivefold to 10,900. Other metrics are also growing rapidly: since November 2023, the number of unique vulnerability reports accepted by customers has more than tripled (4,772), as has the number of critical vulnerabilities found (520). According to these metrics, Standoff Bug Bounty is the leader among similar Russian platforms. The maximum reward amount offered on Standoff Bug Bounty is nearly 4 million rubles, which is an increase by 39% compared to 2023. This is the largest reward among Russian bug bounty platforms. The average payout for an accepted vulnerability reached 58,000 rubles. Over 100 bug bounty programs have been launched on Standoff Bug Bounty, and some of them aim to research scenarios of non-tolerable events. The platform has a wide range of customers: from small and medium-sized businesses to the largest Russian marketplaces, media holdings, government institutions, and regional governments. The largest number of vulnerability reports was received by IT companies in 2023 and by the retail sector in 2024.