Russian Companies Expand Cybersecurity Exports Across the Global South
Countries across the Global South are increasingly building their models of digital sovereignty on Russian technologies.
Russian companies specializing in information security are steadily expanding exports to countries in the Global South. Over the past two years, their focus has shifted toward markets in the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.
These regions are rapidly digitizing their economies while tightening requirements for data protection and critical infrastructure security. In many cases, governments are no longer purchasing standalone software products but are instead trying to build their own models of digital sovereignty. Russia’s experience in this area, shaped by years of sanctions and cyber pressure, is viewed as practical rather than theoretical.
Oil, Gas, and Telecom
In the Middle East and Africa, cybersecurity spending is growing by an average of about 15 percent annually. The primary customers are government agencies, the oil and gas sector, energy companies, and telecom operators. National digital development programs, including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and similar initiatives in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, are adding momentum. Russian cybersecurity products are increasingly seen as a practical alternative to Western services, particularly in projects where systems must operate under persistent cyberthreat risks.
Predictable Partners
In Central Asia – particularly Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan – Russian vendors remain predictable partners. Similar regulatory approaches to personal data protection and critical information infrastructure, along with linguistic and cultural proximity and limited Western competition, reinforce their position. Demand is further driven by stricter national cybersecurity requirements.
Southeast Asia remains a more complex and competitive market, but Russian firms are finding niches there as well. Products for industrial system protection, access management, and security event monitoring attract the most interest. According to Alexander Rozhkov, director of international development at Softline Group, Russian solutions are востребованы in projects for government agencies, industrial enterprises, and financial institutions – particularly where flexible deployment and resilience to combined cyberattacks are critical.
As they expand abroad, Russian cybersecurity vendors are prioritizing product localization, partner network development, and operations through regional offices. This strategy allows them to meet local legal requirements and build cooperation models focused on long-term presence rather than one-off deliveries.
