Expert column by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/fotokir">Kirill Polyakov</a>, Head of Distributed Registry Technology department at the IT Department of Moscow Government.

 
 For the first time, remote electronic voting was conducted as an experiment during the elections of deputies to the Moscow City Duma on September 8, 2019 in three voting districts. The solution was created from scratch and tested by the IT Department of Moscow Government in less than one year. Most of the key participants and customers claim that the experience was successful, the system passed all the tests and proved its resistance to hacking. Thus, the experiment confirmed that the system can be used for other votes. You can read more about that experience on <a target="_blank" href="https://habr.com/ru/article/480152/">Habr</a>.

 
 Back then in 2019 a technical working group was created, and it continued to work on the subsequent projects (anyone can become part of the group, details will be further elaborated in the article). The group made critical comments and also motivated the developers to continuously improve the project. At the same time, we received a lot of useful feedback, including the comments from the international expert on cryptography and election law Pierrick Gaudry. We realized the importance of internal audit with the involvement of the best teams for reviewing the system - including the search for vulnerabilities, developing a threat model, analyzing the code and functionality. As a result, the&nbsp; IT Department of Moscow Government became the first representative of the public sector in the world to present the <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/moscow-technologies/blockchain-voting">open source code</a>&nbsp;of the solution, particularly the back-end and key modules.

 
 The main thing about that e-voting was that it was conducted as an experiment. We needed to understand whether such a solution was feasible. Therefore, the particular chosen technical solution was not the focus; it was the project itself that was important - how it would be perceived and how the system would work during the test voting.

 
 The most useful thing during the first launch of an IT system is open testing. We conducted four of them. During the testing, we worked out various risks from the threat model: blackouts, Internet outages, DDoS attacks, etc. This experience was used in the next votings.

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<h2>
 Differences in 2020
</h2>

 
 On June 25-July 1, 2020, the nationwide voting on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation was held. In Moscow and in the Nizhniy Novgorod Region it was organized also in a remote electronic format using the blockchain&nbsp; technology (which was especially important during the pandemic).

 
 Having considered the available input data, we anticipated a load of 1 million voters. It was clear that Ethereum blockchain platform previously used in the electronic voting system would simply not be able to handle the load. We started to look for other options and chose Exonum, one of the fastest blockchains. It was also important for us that it was geared to solve problems as a private blockchain.

 
 Another new challenge in 2020 was to provide an “everlasting” election ballot. It is a ballot with an unlimited validity throughout the entire voting period that will not disappear if the computer of the voter freezes, communication failure occurs, etc. The “everlasting” ballot was available on the same device in the same browser in which it was first opened, provided that the link to it was saved.

 
 In addition to Moscow, the Nizhniy Novgorod Region participated in the e-voting on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, so we provided voters with the opportunity to log in not only via mos.ru (the official portal of Moscow Mayor and Moscow Government), but also via gosuslugi.ru federal portal (public services portal of the Russian Federation). Attempts to log in in both systems were automatically blocked (only the first application for participation was taken into account). We also took into account the critical comments concerning cryptography in the 2019 voting and implemented a more modern solution based on the Curve25519 elliptic curve, which is used as the default key exchange in OpenSSH, I2p, Tor, Tox and even IOS.

 
 Another challenge was the growing load on all systems of the government of Moscow due to the self-isolation regime: residents started to actively use electronic services and the load on the channels increased significantly.

<h2>
 Architecture of the system
</h2>

 
 In order to increase the resiliency of the remote voting system we implemented a distributed architecture by using geographically dispersed data centers. This ensured fault tolerance - the system can continue to work even if there is a power outage in an entire district in ​​Moscow. We tested such a scenario before conducting the voting - we disabled one of the data centers and checked the stability of the operation of individual components and the whole system. We also used satellite platforms to fulfill the load requirements.

 
 The blockchain was distributed into two nodes for each data center - six nodes in three data centers in total, plus an observer node (details outlined further). The system is peer-to-peer, so working in the mode when one data center is the master, and the second is backup is impossible.

 
 The situation that occurred at the end of 2017 confirmed that Ethereum blockchain network cannot handle the high load. Then the transactions were not confirmed for several days, and sometimes they simply were not completed. It should be mentioned that at that time neither the high-tier application, which caused the excessive load, nor the main network was working, although the application accounted for only 10% of the total number of transactions. Obviously, such a point of failure is not suitable for the voting process, since it is strictly regulated by the timeline and transactions cannot be delayed even for a few minutes, let alone hours.

 
 Bitcoin network has a throughput of about 10 transactions per second, so it is also not suitable. With such a load, only 860 thousand people can vote in a 24 hours period, provided that no other transactions are processed at that time, which is impossible. We understood that the only possible way was to use a private network that allows connecting external observers.

 
 The observer node was implemented in such a way that it is possible to monitor the results in real time. The node was presented as a web interface that allows to view and download encrypted results in real time. The next step is to implement a full-fledged node, but it is necessary to foresee the risk of impacting the network through the observer node. The main advantage of electronic voting is the ease of monitoring the processes. But it is also important to find a balance between transparency and vulnerability. Therefore, our next step is anchoring to a public network (a mechanism for checking data from a private blockchain for immutability by publishing it to a bigger network with a large number of participants and blocks).

 
 In the future the electronic voting system will be available on mobile devices - we will try to enable synchronization with the node, provide processor power to&nbsp; ensure control and arrange an additional channel for calculating the result. The plans also include the development of the web interface’s functionality. We anticipate the development of greater opportunities for collaboration and verifying of the result at the observer level.

<h2>
 Special features of the electronic ballot
</h2>

 
 The most secure component of the remote electronic voting system was the ballot. Participation in the remote electronic voting was confirmed by entering SMS verification code and getting access to the electronic ballot.We envisaged a set of measures in case something goes wrong for the user. For example, the received link to the ballot could be opened in the same browser and on the same device at any time before the end of the electronic voting (20:00 on June 30th), provided that the device was not turned off, restarted, and that its memory was not cleared. If the Internet connection is lost or the device experienced any other disruptions in operation, the user just had to refresh the page with the ballot after the Internet connection was restored - this returned the ballot one step back to the “preview” mode and allowed to continue voting.

 
 The “vote” button appeared immediately after choosing an answer option in the ballot. After pressing the button, the ballot was encrypted on the voter’s device and sent to the blockchain. If the Internet connection was interrupted at the time of sending, the encrypted ballot was sent immediately after the connection was restored.

<h2>
 Anonymization and mixing
</h2>

 
 When designing the system, two fundamental mechanisms - anonymizer and mixer - were implemented to preserve the secrecy of the vote and the anonymity of the voter.

 
 The anonymizer made it impossible to track or identify the user, since the page is not connected with the identification data about the user and does not contain any artifacts and information about the person.

 
 And the mixer put voices into groups and randomly mixed the votes before sending them to the blockchain. This excluded the possibility of comparing the cast votes by the time they was received.

<h2>
 Non-obvious requirements
</h2>

 
 Our remote electronic voting system had several functions and elements which seem strange and unnecessary at first glance, however, they are required by current legislation. A striking example is the transmission of voting results to the state automated system “Vybory” (“Elections”). This process was not automated on purpose and was carried out manually by an operator from the Moscow City Election Commission on a special secure computer in the premises of the Territorial Election Commission for Remote Electronic Voting.

 
 Another example is the use of the so-called blockchain printers, which “left a&nbsp; paper trace” online - they printed encrypted key transactions online: providing access to the ballot, recording encrypted voice in the blockchain. These printers make it possible to count ballots manually if requested. It is also one of the mandatory requirements.

<h2>
 Testing of the system
</h2>

 
 To check the fault tolerance of the system, we conducted load tests (a set of measures to check all network components using the load that is close to or exceeding the expected one) every day until the day of the voting. The public test of the system (a real voting for Moscow residents and the residents of the Nizhniy Novgorod Region) was carried out for two days in order to practice emergency scenarios. In the meantime, the applications for the main voting were already being accepted, and this process did not stop even during the test voting period.

 
 As in 2019, we announced a 2 million rubles prize (equivalent to $26.4 thousand) for hacking the system (during the testing, not on the voting days). But nobody managed to do it again.

<h2>
 Voting and interpretation of results
</h2>

 
 Then the remote electronic online voting was completed on June 30 at 20:00 Moscow time, the data on voters who registered for electronic voting, but did not vote in electronic form, were transferred to the “Vybory” state automated system. They were added to the voter lists at district election committees at their place of registration, and were provided with an opportunity to vote offline on voting day, July 1. All this time, before the decryption started, the system had been closed for accepting ballots, but all monitoring tools were operating, so it was possible to make sure that there were no manipulations, and the blockchain generated zero transaction blocks.

<h2>
 Participation of experts
</h2>

 
 From our experience in 2019 we knew that such projects require the involvement of a lot of industry professionals. Positive Technologies and Kaspersky Lab, as one of the most competent and influential players in the Russian information security market, were engaged to audit the system.

 
 The technical working group included critical IT professionals, with the new members who became part of the group in 2020. For example, representatives of the Party Of Direct Democracy, which is a competitor, since its agenda includes the development of its own electronic voting. However, this is the case when joint participation in such projects strengthens and enriches each of the parties.

 
 Due to the pandemic, almost all meetings were held online, and the broadcast of the meetings was recorded. To ensure quick communication between the members of the technical working group, a Telegram chat was created. It includes representatives of the IT Department of&nbsp; Moscow Government from different areas who answer questions. By the way, they are still doing it, even after the project is completed, and the chat is constantly active.

 
 As for Pierrick Gaudry, who in 2019 provided valuable comments regarding the mechanism for encrypting votes and the operation of the system, this time he refused to participate in the audit of the system due to the lack of documentation for the system in English.

 
 The decryption of the votes was launched after the end of the voting (after 20:00 Moscow time, July 1). It took about 10 minutes. The results of electronic voting in two constituent entities of the Russian Federation - Moscow and the Nizhniy Novgorod Region - were publicly presented upon completion of the decryption, and were also transferred to the “Vybory” state automated system for summing up the voting results in the country.

<h2>
 The work will be continued
</h2>

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://habr.com/ru/">Habr</a> can become a platform for working out the organizational and technical aspects of the project, and if you have questions about the code and suggestions for improving the system, we suggest using <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/moscow-technologies/blockchain-voting">GitHub</a>.

 
 To become part of the technical working group, please send us your full name and contact information by e-mail (<a target="_blank" href="http://support-vybory@mos.ru">support-vybory@mos.ru</a>), and also briefly describe your competencies and why you are interested in joining the group.

<hr />
 
 

 
 Other blockchain-related materials on ICT.Moscow:

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?tags=blockchain">News on blockchain on ICT.Moscow</a>

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mindsmith-column-blockchain-trends/">Column on the main trends in blockchain in 2020</a>

 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/?tags=blockchain">Blockchain cards on ICT.Moscow</a>

Expert column by Kirill Polyakov, Head of Distributed Registry Technology department at the IT Department of Moscow Government

ICT.Moscow

How Moscow organized voting on blockchain in 2020

MINDSMITH experts about current blockchain trends

MINDSMITH column: blockchain in the peak of summer

Articles

Tech in Moscow

exclusive

analytics

Columns

Digest about AI in Russia

interview

ICT.Moscow  — Market in Brief

AI developers evaluate features and prospects of Google's AI architecture V-MoE 

Google's New AI Architecture: Why Do Neural Networks Need Their Own "Experts"?

ICT.Moscow <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/overview-of-global-5g-use-cases-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">published</a> an annual overview of monitoring the use of fifth generation communications in the world. 146 use cases from 30 countries were analyzed for the period from August 2020 to October 2021 inclusive.

 
 The overview includes both projects presented in the demo mode and practices, the testing of which has already begun within the pilots. All of them are divided into 9 functional areas: industry and energy, logistics and transport, entertainment and tourism, communications and connectivity, security, medicine, ecology and agriculture, commerce, education. The overview also analyzes technologies and field where 5G is implemented more often, including AI, VR/AR, robotics, edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X). The collected cases were announced in open sources from August 2020 to October 2021 inclusive.

 
 Key findings

 
 The geography of 5G application in the world is noticeably expanding — the largest number of use cases was found in China (22), followed by the UK (17th) and the US (16th), which have become more visible on the global landscape largely due to the activity of local operators. In countries where 5G networks had not been put into commercial operation at the time of the publication of the report (Russia, Belarus, Portugal, Argentina, Turkey, Ukraine, Malaysia), 5G-ready use cases were taken into account, that is, projects implemented in networks ready to work on 5G frequencies after their launch.

 
 The internal geography of 5G use cases is expanding — they are being actively implemented not only in capitals and megacities, but also in provincial regions and small towns.

 
 The key functional areas in which 5G use cases are being most actively implemented include industry and energy, logistics and transport, entertainment, security, communications and connectivity, medicine. The largest number of use cases have been found in manufacturing industry, where such scenarios are being developed as implementation at industrial facilities (at the level of infrastructure hubs), and equipment management. In the transport segment, among other things, technically complex cases were implemented: for example, providing communications for high-speed transport routes. In most areas, another trend is noticeable, with many new use cases having become more narrow-profile, that is, within the framework of one case, a narrower range of tasks is solved and a smaller range of technologies is used in addition to 5G.

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 The number of 5G&nbsp;use cases&nbsp;presented in the overreview, by functional areas
 

 
 AI and VR/AR are being used more actively than other technologies along with 5G. For AI solutions, 5G enables the continuous transmission of large amounts of data. This is especially true for manufacturing industry and transport (more than half of AI use cases are concentrated in these areas). Cases using VR/AR are distributed approximately evenly across all functional areas, including industry and transport, as well as the segments of entertainment and tourism, medicine, ecology and agriculture. For example, these technologies are used in 5G networks for staff training, seminars and remote meetings, as well as testing virtual games in the cloud.

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 Technologies and tech areas
mentioned in the descriptions of the use cases 
 

 
 Cities and states play a prominent role in the implementation of 5G use cases — 98 of the 146 cases reviewed involve city or state departments in one way or another, as well as companies with significant state participation (for example, Chinese telecom operators).

 
 Enterprises are actively using private 5G networks, with more than a quarter of the selected 5G use cases being implemented in private 5G networks. Usually, they are deployed by industrial enterprises — most projects in this direction were carried out precisely in private networks. However, such cases can also be found in the segments of transport, medicine, security, and agriculture.

 
 → <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/overview-of-global-5g-use-cases-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Overview of Global 5G Use Cases in 2021</a>

<hr />
 
 This report was created as part of the ICT.Moscow special project <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/5g/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">“5G is already in Moscow”</a>.

 
 In 2020, ICT.Moscow <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/overview-new-5g-practices-in-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">published</a> an analysis of new 5G global use cases mentioned in the media in 2019-2020. The authors studied more than 60 use cases in 20 countries.

<hr />

ICT.Moscow: 5G is most frequently used with AI and VR/AR

Top tech stories from Moscow (January 17 — 28) 

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

 
 Main news about Moscow's projects, developers, technologies

 
 Rosatom to Present a Draft Roadmap for the Creation of a Quantum Internet in 2022 

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 Image:&nbsp;Mos.ru
 

 
 

 
 In 2022, Rosatom will present a draft of the second roadmap for the development of quantum computing.

 
 The state corporation clarified that in the period from 2025 to 2030, the key tasks will be the creation of a common network of quantum computers in Russia. Later, on its basis, it is planned to create a “quantum Internet”. According to Ruslan Yunusov, head of the project office for quantum technologies at Rosatom, this network will speed up the performance of devices “by tens and hundreds of millions of times.”

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/rosatom-to-present-a-draft-roadmap-for-the-creation-of-a-quantum-internet-in-2022/" target="_blank">Read more →</a>

<hr />
 
 Other stories:

<ul>
 <li>Rostelecom to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/rostelecom-to-test-5g-in-the-metro-of-moscow-st-petersburg-and-kazan/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Test</a> 5G in the Metro of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan  </li>
 <li>MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, Tele2 to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/telecom-operators-to-enter-the-smart-electricity-metering-market/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Enter</a> the Smart Electricity Metering Market </li>
 <li>Rosatom <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/rosatom-plans-to-launch-a-virtual-operator/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Plans</a> to Launch a Virtual Operator  </li>
 <li>Sberbank <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-named-best-bank-in-europe-for-its-interbank-payment-services/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Named</a> Best Bank in Europe for its Interbank Payment Services</li>
 <li>Bosch <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/bosch-integrates-the-solution-from-moscow-based-video-analytics-developer-videointellect-into-the-bvms-security-system/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Integrates</a> the Solution from  Moscow-Based Video Analytics Developer Videointellect into the BVMS Security System</li>
 <li>KORUS Consulting and Yandex.Cloud to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/korus-consulting-and-yandex-cloud-to-jointly-create-cloud-solutions-for-global-companies/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Jointly Create</a> Cloud Solutions for Global Companies</li>
</ul>

 
 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 Russia to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-to-develop-a-national-standard-for-a-smart-homes/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Develop </a>a National Standard for Smart Homes
 Ministry of Digital Development <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/ministry-of-digital-development-considers-free-provision-of-frequencies-for-5g-to-operators/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Considers</a> Free Provision of Frequencies for 5G to Operators
 AI Developers to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/ai-developers-to-get-access-to-departmental-databases-with-de-identified-data/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get</a> Access to Departmental Databases with De-Identified Data
 Telecom Operators to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/telecom-operators-to-combine-base-stations-into-a-single-network-to-cover-federal-lte-routes-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Combine</a> Base Stations into a Single Network to Cover Federal LTE Routes by 2030
 </div>
 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" style="" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 INVESTMENT DEALS AND FINANCIAL REPORTS&nbsp;
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>X5 Group <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/x5-group-announces-140-digital-business-revenue-growth-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Announces</a> 140% Digital Business Revenue Growth in 2021</li>
 <li>Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-plans-to-buy-bandlink-service/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Plans </a>to Buy BandLink Service</li>
 <li>Data Сenter Operator IXcellerate <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/data-senter-operator-ixcellerate-raises-190-million-to-expand-dpcs-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises</a> $190 Million to Expand DPCs in Moscow</li>
 <li>Moscow Accelerator's Alumni <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-accelerators-alumni-raise-over-12-9-million/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raise</a> over $12.9 Million</li>
 <li>Data Сenter Operator IXcellerate <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/data-senter-operator-ixcellerate-raises-190-million-to-expand-dpcs-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises</a> $190 Million to Expand DPCs in Moscow</li>
 <li>Fura Service <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/fura-service-attracts-7-6-million-in-investment/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Attracts</a> $7.6 Million in Investment</li>
</ul>

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?tags=investments%2Cdeals" target="_blank">Other news →</a> 

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 LONGREAD
</h2>

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/new-video-analytics/" target="_blank">Eyes of Metropolis: How the New Scenarios Appear in Video Analytics</a>

 
 In November 2021, analysts from the Innovation Laboratory of the IT Department of the Moscow Government have studied global practices in the use of video surveillance and video analytics systems. Among other things, they analyzed the various areas where such systems are used today and identified seven main application scenarios, that is, six more in addition to security (for which such systems have traditionally been deployed in cities). The fact that video analytics systems are increasingly being used in the world to solve various problems is also indicated by other studies. According to IT company Surfshark, in 2020, more than half of all existing states (109 countries) have already used or approved facial recognition. In total, 194 states were studied by analysts.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/new-video-analytics/" target="_blank">Read the article →</a> 

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/video-surveillance-and-video-analytics-an-overview-of-international-practices/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Innovation Lab of the IT Department of Moscow Government</a>: Overview of international practices of video surveillance and video analytics → <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mobile-traffics-share-in-russian-internet-is-up-83-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">SlickJump agency</a>: Mobile Traffic's Share in Russian Internet is up 83% in 2021 → <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/voice-traffic-in-moscow-metro-grows-by-21-over-the-year/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MTS</a>: Voice Traffic in Moscow Metro Grows by 21% over the Year →

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/" target="_blank">More analytics →</a> 

<hr />
<h2>
 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FROM MOSCOW
</h2>

 
 a showcase of some video analytics solutions

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/neurocam-supervisor/" target="_blank">Neurocam Supervisor</a></li>
</ul>

 
 Comprehensive video analytics solution based on face recognition technology 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/findface-multi/" target="_blank">FindFace Multi</a></li>
</ul>

 
 Multi-object video analytics platform 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/card/videointellect/" target="_blank">Videointellect</a></li>
</ul>

 
 Predictive analytics system 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/" target="_blank">More solutions →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 KEY ACTORS
</h2>

 
 discover people who stand behind the innovative companies and projects in Moscow

Сделать
 
 

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

Top tech stories from Moscow (January 17 — 28)

Tech in Moscow #37

Analysts from the Innovation Laboratory of the IT Department of the Moscow Government <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/video-surveillance-and-video-analytics-an-overview-of-international-practices/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">have studied</a> the new practices of using video surveillance and video analytics systems in cities and countries in Asia, the Middle East, the USA, and Europe.

 
 They identified seven main areas where such systems are now used globally: security, education, transport, housing and communal services, healthcare, emergency services, and tourism. Separately, the experts considered new scenarios for using video analytics with drones. More than 30 practices in total, including:

<ul>
 <li>in Cannes, video analytics allows monitoring compliance with the rules for wearing masks and social distance;</li>
 <li>Beijing authorities use a face-scanning system in residential areas to control the separate collection of garbage;</li>
 <li>in Shanghai, such systems make it possible to simplify the procedure for checking passengers entering the salon of public transport;</li>
 <li>in Japan, technology can detect smoke and speed up the elimination of forest fires.</li>
</ul>

 
 The authors of the study have also presented:

<ul>
 <li>an analysis of approaches to the positioning of video surveillance, video analytics and the attitudes of residents in 21 locations, including New York, Chicago, London, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, etc.:</li>
</ul>

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<ul>
 <li>a map of information openness of the authorities of the studied locations in the field of video surveillance and video analytics:</li>
</ul>

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<ul>
 <li>approaches to regulating the use of these technologies in Portland, Baltimore, New York and Stockholm:</li>
</ul>

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 </div>

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/video-surveillance-and-video-analytics-an-overview-of-international-practices/" target="_blank">Explore the full version of the study →</a> 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/news/analitiki-dit-moskvy-na-osnove-mirovogo-opyta-nazvali-osnovnye-stsenarii-primeneniia-videoanalitiki/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Original (in Russian)</a>

IT Department of Moscow Government

Overview: How Video Surveillance and Video Analytics are Used and Positioned in the World

The demand for smart urban video surveillance and its development

Eyes of Metropolis: How the New Scenarios Appear in Video Analytics

Top tech stories from Moscow (December 13 — January 14) 

<hr />
<h2>
 MARKET IN BRIEF
</h2>

 
 Main news about Moscow's projects, developers, technologies

 
 5G Test Site Launched on the Basis of Botkin Hospital in Moscow 

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 Source:&nbsp;Mos.ru
 

 
 

 
 The first 5G industrial test site began operating on the basis of the Botkin Hospital in Moscow. Its infrastructure is deployed in the millimeter wavelength range. The project includes healthcare technologies and services for which high speed of collection, processing and transmission of large amounts of data is important.

 
 “We are interested in the possibilities of using augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies in surgery, ensuring fast transfer of volumetric files obtained during instrumental studies between organizations and other areas that can improve the quality of medical care in the city,” explained Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow r Social Development.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/5g-test-site-launched-on-the-basis-of-botkin-hospital-in-moscow/" target="_blank">Read more →</a>

<hr />
 
 

 
 What Awards Did Moscow Receive in 2021 in the Field of Technology and Digitalization?

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 Source: Mos.ru


 

 
 In 2021, Moscow has received several awards in the field of technology and digitalization. So, at the end of 2021, the capital received the Runet Prize. Among the laureates are the digital ecosystem of Moscow and the Russpass travel service.

 
 In November, Moscow took first place in the ESG Governance category of the European Cities of the Future: ESG Innovation Index. The compilers of the rating assessed the city's higher education system, the introduction of innovations in various spheres of life and acceleration programs for startups in Moscow.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/what-awards-did-moscow-receive-in-2021-in-the-field-of-technology-and-digitalization/" target="_blank">Read more →</a>

<hr />
 
 Other stories:

<ul>
 <li>Testing of Driverless Cars in Moscow <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/testing-of-driverless-cars-in-moscow-may-start-in-february/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">May Start</a> in February 2022</li>
 <li>MTS <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mts-announces-conducted-uplink-aggregation-tests-on-5g-virtual-infrastructure/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Announces</a> Conducted Uplink Aggregation Tests on 5G Virtual Infrastructure</li>
 <li>Telegram <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/telegram-bypasses-whatsapp-in-terms-of-mobile-traffic-growth-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bypasses</a> WhatsApp in Terms of Mobile Traffic Growth in Moscow</li>
 <li>CODD <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/codd-digitizes-more-than-6-thousand-km-of-moscow-streets/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Digitizes </a>More than 6 Thousand km of Moscow Streets</li>
 <li>Technopolis Moscow <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/technopolis-moscow-tops-the-national-rating-of-sez-investment-attractiveness/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tops </a>the National Rating of SEZ Investment Attractiveness</li>
 <li>Moscow <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-tests-multitransport-service/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tests</a> MultiTransport Service</li>
 <li>Moscow to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/moscow-to-lainch-a-pilot-project-for-purchases-using-facepay/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Launch </a>a Pilot Project for Purchases Using FacePay</li>
 <li>University Quantum Network <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/university-quantum-network-launched-in-moscow/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Launched </a>in Moscow</li>
 <li>Ericsson <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/ericsson-considers-opening-its-own-plant-of-5g-base-stations-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Considers </a>Opening its own Plant of 5G Base Stations in Russia</li>
 <li>Sberbank and AIRI <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-and-airi-win-internaional-contest-nethack-challenge-for-ai-training-project/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Win </a>International Contest NetHack Challenge for AI Training Project</li>
 <li>Foreign Сompanies <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/foreign-sompanies-invest-over-15-billion-in-russian-technology-parks/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Invest</a> over $15 billion in Russian Technology Parks</li>
 <li>Russia <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russia-takes-11th-place-by-the-number-of-technology-patents-in-2021/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Named </a>World's 11th Country by the Number of Technology Patents in 2021</li>
</ul>

 
 

<div class="incut-block incut-block-text-small-size">
 GOV AGENDA
 State Duma <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-state-duma-adopts-a-bill-on-biometric-data/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Adopts </a>a Bill on Biometric Data
 Russian Regulator to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/russian-regulator-to-expand-the-range-for-5g-networks-in-million-plus-cities/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Expand </a>the Range for 5G Networks in Million-Plus Cities
 FAS to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/fas-to-assess-marketplaces-regarding-fair-access/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Assess </a>Marketplaces Regarding Fair Access
 Russia <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/ministry-of-digital-development-announces-russias-plans-to-enter-the-global-market-of-quantum-technologies-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Plans </a>to Enter Global Market of Quantum Technologies by 2030
 Real Estate Digital Services to be <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/real-estate-digital-services-to-be-connected-to-the-state-rental-accounting-platform/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Connected </a>to the State Rental Accounting Platform
 </div>
 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" style="" target="_blank">More news →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 VC, IPO AND OTHER DEALS&nbsp;
</h2>

<ul>
 <li>Yandex <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/yandex-closes-the-deal-to-buy-a-share-of-uber-in-its-services/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Closes</a> the Deal to Buy a Share of Uber in its Services</li>
 <li>Kismet Capital Group <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/kismet-capital-group-acquires-100-of-russian-towers/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Acquires </a>100% of Russian Towers</li>
 <li>Rostec and ER-Telecom <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/rostec-and-er-telecom-buy-out-a-controlling-stake-in-akado/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Buy </a>out a Controlling Stake in Akado</li>
 <li>Online School Kodland <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/online-school-kodland-raises-9-million-in-investment/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises </a>$9 Million in Investment</li>
 <li>Softline <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/softline-acquires-85-of-it-academy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Acquires </a>85% of IT Academy</li>
 <li>NUTSon Service <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/nutson-service-raises-6-million-for-international-development/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Raises </a>$6 Million for International Development</li>
 <li>CarMoney <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/carmoney-heads-to-ipo-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Heads </a>to IPO in 2022</li>
 <li>MTS to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/mts-to-acquire-facial-recognition-system-developer-visionlabs/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Acquire </a>Facial Recognition System Developer VisionLabs</li>
 <li>Sberbank to <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/sberbank-to-sell-part-of-its-ecosystem-within-two-years/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sell </a>Part of its Ecosystem within Two Years</li>
 <li>Positive Technologies <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/positive-technologies-enters-the-moscow-exchange/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Enters </a>the Moscow Exchange</li>
</ul>

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/" target="_blank">More news →</a>

 
 

<hr />
<h2>
 LONGREAD
</h2>

 
 Innovation Explained: a View on Current Innovative Processes 

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 Source: Unsplash
 

 
 

 
 Recent years have shown how important the role of innovation is becoming. Large corporations are rebuilding their businesses, and the world's megacities are actively testing and implementing new technologies in order to significantly improve the quality of life for people and open up new opportunities for them.

 
 Metaverses, which should become the next platforms of the future both for companies and for actively developing cities, are among the hottest topics today. However, whether they will become a part of the global innovative process or a short-term trend is still an open question.

 
 However, there is still no common understanding of what innovation is. Could a technology or its implementation be an innovation? What environment is favorable for innovative activity and what does it depend on?

 
 ICT.Moscow discussed these issues with those who are engaged in innovations today and tried to figure out what defines innovative activity in the industry, how the COVID-19 pandemic affected it, and what direction it will develop further.

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/what-is-innovation/" target="_blank">Read the full article →</a>

<hr />
<h2>
 ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS
</h2>

 
 researches, monitorings, reports and other analytics of Moscow and Russian IT market

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/global-innovation-index-2021/" target="_blank">WIPO: Global Innovation Index 2021 →</a></li>
</ul>

 
 The World Intellectual Property Organization has released a global innovation index containing the results of a comparative analysis of the innovation systems of 132 countries and their ranking by the level of innovative development.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/smart-centres-index-3/" target="_blank">Z/YEN: Smart Centres Index 3 →</a></li>
</ul>

 
 The SCI focuses on centres in relation to their approach to and delivery of innovation and technology, including Science, Energy Systems, Machine Learning, Distributed Ledgers, and Fintech, along with other applications.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/research/vulnerabilities-in-log4j-2/" target="_blank">DR. WEB: Vulnerabilities in Log4j 2 →</a></li>
</ul>

 
 Doctor Web is drawing users’ attention to the need to observe protective measures. The library is used for logging in Java projects and is part of the Apache Logging Project. Vulnerabilities allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the system and cause a Denial of Service or disclose confidential information.

<hr />
<h2>
 DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FROM MOSCOW
</h2>

 
 a showcase of some Moscow-based smart city and GovTech solutions from <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/" target="_blank">Smart City Moscow</a> special project. 

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/case/city-video-surveillance-system/" target="_blank">City Video Surveillance System</a></li>
</ul>

 
 An effective control tool in housing and communal services and landscaping, which ensures security in the city.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/case/moscow-e-government-business-services/" target="_blank">Moscow E-government Business Services</a></li>
</ul>

 
 200 electronic services for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs are available on the official portal of the Moscow Mayor and Moscow Government.

<ul>
 <li><a href="https://ict.moscow/en/projects/smartcitymoscow/case/mymoscowapp/" target="_blank">My Moscow</a></li>
</ul>

 
 The mobile app is a new dimension of comfort in edge-cutting technologies accelerating access to the public services enabling live consultations with city authorities.

 
 

 
 <a href="https://ict.moscow/en/cards/" target="_blank">More solutions →</a>

 
 

<hr />
 
 <a target="_blank" href="https://ict.moscow/en/news/?filterCategory=Tech-in-Moscow">Previous Tech in Moscow newsletters</a>

Top tech stories from Moscow  (December 13 — January 14) 

Tech in Moscow #36

Russian experts on innovative activity, the impact of the pandemic on it, and further development vectors