The certificate may pose real risks for users
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The new certificate, which Kazakhstan’s government suggests people use, is not verified by the international certification authorities. As a result, potential vulnerabilities of it could be dangerous for regular citizens, according to Mikhail Klimarev, IT specialist and head of the non-profit organization Internet Protection Society, who has given a speech at the Privacy Week 2021 conference.
In 2015 Kazakhstan developed a digital security certificate Qaznet Trust Network, which is supposed to be a shield to protect people against hacker attacks or sensitive content. However, as Russian expert Klimarev has noted, none of the international certification centers confirmed it.
Kazakhstan vs. Big Tech: Companies Block Government s Attempt to Spy on People s Devices
Several Big Tech companies have broken their silences following reports of the Kazakhstan government s surveillance over its people s devices.
The reports surfaced after Kazakhstan s government reportedly forced its citizens to install a national security certificate on every single device that accepts the internet. During this period of cyber-training, various problems may arise with access to some foreign internet resources. These can be avoided by installing a security certificate, the country s Security Council said in a statement previously on December 5.
Like they did last year, Mozilla, Microsoft, Google, and Apple teamed up to tackle the issue. In a statement, Mozilla says that it will block the online surveillance certificate from working on its products, while other Big Techs follow the same practice.