Microsoft has announced that they will no longer be permitting new sales to Russia of their products, and have included that they’re working on protecting Ukraine’s cybersecurity.
Following on the heels of CD Projekt Red‘s announcement of clocking their products, and answering the call from Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, Microsoft has determined the unlawful invasion by Russia in Ukraine is enough for them to embargo their products from the country entirely in a new report posted to their blog today.
On top of that announcement, the brand that built Xbox also announced they’re cooperating with governments from the UK, the US, and the EU to stop their business transactions with Russia as well, in correlation with the recently imposed sanctions placed on the Russian economy.
Microsoft has also expressed that the best way for them to help in the ongoing war crisis, is to help protect Ukraine’s cybersecurity, as the New York Times reports “warning of a never-before-seen piece of “wiper” malware that appeared aimed at the country’s government ministries and financial institutions.”
Our single most impactful area of work almost certainly is the protection of Ukraine’s cybersecurity. We continue to work proactively to help cybersecurity officials in Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, including, most recently, a cyberattack against a major Ukrainian broadcaster.
Since the war began, we have acted against Russian positioning, destructive or disruptive measures against more than 20 Ukrainian government, IT and financial sector organizations. We have also acted against cyberattacks targeting several additional civilian sites. We have publicly raised our concerns that these attacks against civilians violate the Geneva Convention.
– Microsoft Blog
Another notable technology giant has been working to help Ukraine in SpaceX’s CEO, Elon Musk, by way of deploying Starlink Satellite Internet service in response to a Twitter plea for help from Fedorov CNET reports. This is also in response to the disruption of the existing Ukrainian internet service by Russian invading forces. Musk tweeted a word of caution, however, that it is a high-risk target from Russian forces
U.S. President, Joe Biden has also declared “If Russia pursues cyberattacks against our companies, our critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond,” the NYT reports. As more notable tech companies come out to help Ukraine, surely others will follow suit in the protection of civil rights, like Microsoft.
