PrivacyDigest<p><a href="https://mas.to/tags/Hackers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Hackers</span></a> —hope to defect to <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Russia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Russia</span></a> ? Don’t <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Google" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Google</span></a> “ <a href="https://mas.to/tags/defecting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>defecting</span></a> to Russia.” </p><p>To the casual observer, <a href="https://mas.to/tags/cybercriminals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>cybercriminals</span></a> can look like swashbuckling geniuses. </p><p>They possess technical skills formidable enough to penetrate the networks of the biggest companies on the planet.</p><p>They cover their tracks using technology that is arcane to most people—VPNs, <a href="https://mas.to/tags/encrypted" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>encrypted</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/chat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>chat</span></a> apps, onion routing, aliases in dark web forums.<br><a href="https://mas.to/tags/privacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>privacy</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/security" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>security</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/vpn" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>vpn</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/tor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>tor</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/onionrouting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>onionrouting</span></a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/darkweb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>darkweb</span></a></p><p><a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/07/hackers-hope-to-defect-to-russia-dont-google-defecting-to-russia/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">arstechnica.com/security/2025/</span><span class="invisible">07/hackers-hope-to-defect-to-russia-dont-google-defecting-to-russia/</span></a></p>