President Putin still uses Windows XP

According to OpenMedia , the images revealed from the official Kremlin photo chronicle have recently been revealed. Windows XP is installed on a computer in Putin’s office in the Kremlin and in his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo. The photos even show desktop screensavers using Kremlin images.

Microsoft released Windows XP in October 2001 and stopped supporting it, including the release of security updates for this operating system, in April 2014. However, the US company occasionally releases important security updates for the operating system, to prevent hacker attacks. One of them is an update in May 2019.

Mikhail Klimarev, executive director of the Internet Protection Association, confirmed that President Putin actually used an outdated version of the US operating system, after reviewing the photos above.

President of Russian Bank Elvira Nabiullina during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin Photo: kremlin.ru

After XP, Microsoft released several versions of Windows, including Windows Vista, Windows 7 and most recently Windows 10 in July 2015. A decade after its release, XP was still the most popular desktop operating system, but by November 2019, it was only installed on 1.3% of computers worldwide.

According to Klimarev, it is likely that the Russian president cannot use the latest version of Windows, as it does not pass the certification of the Russian Federal Export and Technical Control Service (FSTEC). That means, in the view of the Russian authorities, it is not considered safe to install on computers of senior state officials.

To put it more simply, Windows XP has actually become the last Microsoft operating system certified for use in Russian government agencies, according to documents from FSTEC. Windows 10 is only certified to protect information that does not contain state secrets. Therefore, it cannot appear on Putin’s computer, so that he can view documents with secret certificates on them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a video meeting at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo. Photo: kremlin.ru

In fact, Putin can use Russian-made operating systems on his personal computer. For years, Russian officials have cherished plans to give up foreign software entirely in the government system. For example, starting in 2017, the President’s affairs management board planned to move Kremlin officials to work on the domestic operating system, Astra Linux, created by the non-governmental organization RusBitech. out. This is the only system that has received certifications from FSTEC, FSB and the Russian Ministry of Defense, allowing it to be used to work with documents on any level of confidentiality.

However, in early 2018, a report said the presidential office had to postpone these plans due to the unavailability of Astra Linux. According to updated plans, at least 80% of all Kremlin officials’ computers should be migrated to this new operating system because the President’s management only works by the end of 2019. , do not understand why the Kremlin still does not buy the above operating system.

The spokesman for the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, did not answer Open Media’s question about why the operating system has not been installed on President Putin’s computer. A representative of RusBitech, a non-governmental organization, noted that his company is providing Astra Linux to a number of government departments. For example, in the summer of 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense bought it to give up Windows operating system entirely.

In reality, however, Russian secrets may not be affected by the president’s use of an outdated American operating system. Because Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that he practically does not use the Internet. In February 2018, the president noted that he did not have a smartphone. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also noted that Putin does not even have a mobile phone, because “the president of a country like Russia should not put everything on the public screen”.

Refer to O penMedia