Russian developer claimed that he was based in North America
A Russian data company pretending it was an American one developed code for apps that were used by the United States Army and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to Reuters (opens in new tab), a company called Pushwoosh listed a Washington, D.C. address as its headquarters. However, it was actually based out of Novosibirsk, Russia. Pushwoosh also claimed that it listed addresses in California, Maryland, Washington, D.C.
More than 8,000 iOS apps and Android apps are based on code from Russia. Since then, the U.S. Army claims to have removed the code from its products. The CDC has removed Pushwoosh software seven public-facing apps due to security concerns.
‘Proud Russian’
Max Konev, the founder of the company, stated to Reuters a few month ago that he had never concealed his Russian heritage. He said, “I am proud of being Russian and I would not hide this.”
The business address on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn is actually a Kensington suburban home belonging to a friend. He claimed that he never had any other involvement with the company.
Konev claimed that the Maryland address was used for “receiving business correspondence” during Covid-19. He claimed that Pushwoosh operates now from Thailand. However, Reuters couldn’t find any evidence that the company was registered in Thailand.
Pushwoosh, a software company, processes data. This may raise alarm bells. Reuters found no evidence that Pushwoosh misused user data.
