Cybercrime Trends in Russia: 2021–2022 Official Report and Implications

Cybercrime in Russia has drawn widespread attention over the past several years as digital threats grew more aggressive and more sophisticated. In 2022, officials signaled a pause in the rapid rise of such activity, following a period where information technology enabled offenses to spread quickly. The news came through statements from the Prosecutor General’s Office, as reported by TASS, highlighting that the surge in cyber-related offenses slowed during 2021 and then showed a downward trend in 2022. This shift was described as a notable moderation after a sustained period of growth in cybercrime. According to official briefs, the 11-month snapshot of 2022 showed a 4.9 percent decline in cybercrimes when compared with the same timeframe a year earlier, decreasing from 494.1 thousand incidents to 470.1 thousand. This change suggested improved enforcement, enhanced cyber hygiene measures, and ongoing investigations that disrupted criminal networks that rely on information technology to commit offenses. (TASS, citing the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation)