ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. Western intelligence services have started using Russian citizens’ data that have been hacked and leaked online for their own purposes, Milos Wagner, deputy head of Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor, said.
"Previously, the main source of our citizens' personal data were foreign social networks, which are now blocked in Russia. After they were blocked, the Western special services lost the ability to collect and analyze this information. That's why they have resorted to hacking and stealing sensitive information collected by Russian organizations. <...> Before February 2022, they (i.e. such Russian citizens’ data - TASS) weren't of any heightened interest for those who know how to hack such systems. However, since February [such data] have become of great interest to virtually all data operators and every Russian citizen," he told TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) — Russia’s showcase annual economic and business event — was held on June 14-17. The theme of this year’s forum was: "Sovereign Development as the Basis of a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations." TASS was the official information partner for the event.