A Russian data company masquerading as an American one has finally developed code for applications used by the US military, as well as for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According Reuters (opens in a new tab), a company called Pushwoosh, which was based in Washington, D.C., among others, was actually based in Novosibirsk, Russia. He also claims that Pushwoosh exchanged addresses in California, Maryland and Washington
As a result, more than 8,000 iOS and Android apps contain code developed in Russia. The U.S. Army has since claimed to have removed the offensive code from its products, and the CDC has removed the Pushwoosh software from seven public apps, citing security concerns.
“Proud Russian”
The company’s founder, Max Konev, told Reuters a few months ago that he had never hidden the company’s Russian origins. He stated, “I’m proud to be Russian and I would never hide it.”
In fact, the company address listed on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn is a house in suburban Kensington, Maryland, owned by a friend of the founder, who said he had no other ties to the company.
Konev stated that the Maryland address was used to “receive business correspondence” during the Covid-19 pandemic. He also claimed that Pushwoosh now operates out of Thailand, but Reuters could not find evidence that the company is registered in that jurisdiction.
Pushwoosh is a software company that processes data, which can trigger an alarm. However, Reuters found no evidence that Pushwoosh is mishandling user data.