By the close of the year, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation plans to prohibit its staff from using Apple smartphones and tablets for official duties. This move is reported by RIA Novosti, citing an unnamed source close to the decision.
The report states that the directive was issued by Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the Central Bank. The measure is slated to take effect on December 25, 2023.
According to the source, the bank will not acquire smartphones or tablets from Apple for its operations.
At the time the article appeared, the Central Bank had not issued an official comment on the information.
Estimates from the period place the total number of employees within the Bank of Russia at over 40 thousand by the end of 2022.
The Central Bank of the Russian Federation is not alone in moving away from Apple devices for reasons tied to information security. Earlier, several other state bodies had adopted similar restrictions. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Digital Development, and the Ministry of Transport, among others, followed suit. The shift occurred after cybersecurity experts from the FSB and Kaspersky Lab identified vulnerabilities in iOS that could enable espionage against users.
There was also a separate development involving Apple that related to a worldwide payment card offering; however, that item does not appear to be connected to the device restrictions described above.
In parallel, government agencies pursued broader strategies to strengthen information security and reduce the potential risk associated with widely used consumer devices in official workflows. The trend reflects a growing emphasis on controlled device ecosystems, secure communication channels, and rigorous risk assessments for government operations in the digital age.
Observing the broader context, many institutions around the world have weighed the tradeoffs between convenience, compatibility, and security. The decision by the Central Bank of Russia appears to be part of a larger pattern where specialized agencies opt for equipment and software that align with their strict security requirements while minimizing exposure to vulnerabilities that could compromise sensitive financial data and regulatory processes.