VK WorkSpace Federation Enables Secure Multi-Organization On-Premise Messaging Without Infrastructure Merge
VK Tech has introduced federation support for VK WorkSpace that links separate On-Premise installations while ensuring each organization retains complete sovereignty over its servers, databases, and security policies.
The solution addresses the common requirement for project teams to communicate with contractors, partners, and subsidiary companies without moving work conversations to public services. In the initial November 2025 pilot, two installations could exchange messages after one side issued an invitation and the other confirmed the trust relationship. The July 2026 release 26.2 removed the pairwise limitation, allowing a single group chat to include participants from multiple independent On-Premise environments.
Access is governed at two levels. First, a mutual trust is established between installations. Second, each administrator explicitly grants external-communication rights to selected employees for that specific trust. Only approved users see external contacts and can initiate dialogues or join federated group chats. The corporate directory is not replicated; only minimal profile data—name, work email, and organization flag—is shared.
Three architectural approaches were evaluated. A single-host model with proxy access was rejected because loss of the host would break history availability for all other parties. Adoption of the open Matrix protocol was also declined because it would have required extensive remapping of existing entities, rights, and APIs. The chosen design replicates only federation-related objects and events at the application layer so that each installation stores its own copy of permitted messages and files.
This local-replication model delivers several security and operational benefits: data remains under each organization’s control, local DLP, audit, and retention policies continue to apply, and no user session is created in a foreign environment. When a trust is revoked, already-received history stays in the local instance.
Client applications continue to connect exclusively to their own installation. A dedicated federation layer intercepts relevant operations, forwards them through secure gateways, and replays them via the local messenger API on the receiving side. The core messenger logic remains unchanged, although every new feature must still be validated for multi-party federation compatibility.
Extensive dogfooding on internal test stands helped refine both the protocol and the user interface, particularly the hiding of unsupported actions to prevent user errors. The feature is now deployed in production On-Premise environments at several customer sites.
Related articles
Teenage Smartphone Addiction: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment Approaches
Smartphone use has become an integral part of adolescent life, but problematic usage patterns rather than device ownership itself are the focus of concern. Medical experts avoid the term smartphone addiction and instead address issues like disrupted self-control, social media overuse, and gaming disorder that interfere with sleep, studies, relationships, and mental health. Data from Pew Research indicates nearly 50% of U.S. teens aged 13-17 are online almost constantly, while CDC findings link four or more hours of daily screen time to elevated anxiety and depression symptoms. Family digital habits strongly influence teen behavior, and rigid bans often fail without addressing underlying issues such as boredom, anxiety, or social isolation. Parents are advised to track specific disruptions over a week and consider professional help when signs of depression, bullying, or self-harm appear alongside device overuse.
Sergey Volkov of Cloud.ru Named Top CISO in Russian IT Sector Ranking
Sergey Volkov, Director of the Cyber Protection Center at Cloud.ru, has secured first place in the information security category of the annual Top-1000 Russian Managers ranking. The ranking, published by the Association of Managers in the Kommersant newspaper since 2001, is compiled through peer evaluations by top executives followed by review from expert commissions. Volkov oversees information security strategy and operations for Cloud.ru, and his top position reflects professional recognition of his leadership results. The Association also analyzed broader achievements among laureates and identified key trends in Russian management. Artificial intelligence adoption for business process optimization appeared in 80 percent of reviewed accomplishments. Client orientation through user experience analysis and personalized solutions ranked second, while operational efficiency via cost reduction, automation, and digitalization took third place.
Russia Hands Down First Conviction Under New Criminal Article for Online Drug Propaganda
A resident of Orenburg became the first person in Russia to receive a criminal sentence under Article 230.3 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes online drug propaganda following repeated administrative violations. The man was fined 100,000 rubles and had his mobile phone confiscated after he printed and posted leaflets containing a QR code that directed users to job advertisements linked to drug distribution. The scheme began when he was recruited via messenger to place the leaflets for 10 rubles each, without realizing the content involved narcotics-related vacancies. Prior to this case, the individual had already been sanctioned twice within the same year for illegal drug advertising, allowing prosecutors to escalate the matter to the new criminal provision that took effect on 1 March. The court considered his prior record as a recidivism aggravating factor yet imposed the minimum fine after he admitted guilt, expressed remorse, and cooperated with investigators. The ruling has already entered into force, marking the initial application of the statute that permits penalties up to two years of imprisonment or fines between 100,000 and 300,000 rubles.
Where to Find Scientific Articles and Full Texts in 2026: Russian and International Databases Guide
Finding complete scientific papers often requires navigating multiple platforms because search engines show only titles and abstracts while publishers may demand payment for PDFs. The guide explains the differences between bibliographic databases that help locate publications and full-text repositories that provide actual documents. It covers Russian resources such as CyberLeninka, eLIBRARY.RU with RINC, Math-Net.Ru, and the national platform of scientific journals, along with international tools including Google Scholar, PubMed, arXiv, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and Web of Science. Additional sections address book catalogs, archives, AI-powered search tools like Consensus, and scientific social networks such as ResearchGate. The material emphasizes that presence in any database does not guarantee quality or validity, urging readers to verify methods, results, and publication status independently. Practical advice is given on locating open-access versions, using library subscriptions, and contacting authors directly.