Canadian IT company added to Moscow’s list of 'undesirable' organizations

Russian authorities have labeled a Canadian IT company an “undesirable” organization, making it the second Western cyber firm to be added to the list.

In a statement on Thursday, Russia's Prosecutor General's Office said that OpenText Corporation “collaborates closely with U.S. law enforcement and contributes to the West's anti-Russia propaganda efforts.”

Moscow also claimed that the company works for the U.S. Department of Defense, supplying the Pentagon with software, including one product that helps identify internet users.

A company that OpenText acquired in 2023, the U.K.-based Micro Focus, provided “Ukrainian law enforcement agencies with cybersecurity software and services needed for data collection to strike Russian troops and infrastructure,” Russian authorities said.

As of 10:45 a.m. Eastern in North America on Friday, OpenText had not replied to Recorded Future News’ request for comment about the accusations.

The Waterloo, Ontario, company specializes in enterprise information management (EIM) software that helps organizations manage documents, records and other content. It also offers cybersecurity solutions.

A status of "undesirable" in Russia applies to organizations or individuals whose activities are considered harmful to the country's interests or security. Once designated, these organizations are prohibited from operating within Russia — their assets can be seized, and their activities curtailed. Russian citizens and legal entities are also prohibited from collaborating with these organizations and can face criminal charges if they disobey.

In December, Russia added the U.S. cybersecurity firm Recorded Future to its list of "undesirable" organizations, citing similar accusations. At that time, Recorded Future’s chief executive, Christopher Ahlberg, said that the company has no specific ties to any intelligence services, but counts many government agencies as customers. The Record is an editorially independent unit of Recorded Future.

OpenText and Micro Focus suspended their businesses in Russia in 2022, when Moscow invaded Ukraine, and said they would only resume operations in the country when “the war ends and sanctions are lifted.” OpenText previously made donations to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

In 2023, OpenText also revealed that it provided its services to Ukrainian power company Ukrenergo following the 2015 BlackEnergy cyberattack, which led to widespread power outages across the country, to help protect the company’s infrastructure from future threats.

In 2024, Russia's foreign ministry imposed personal sanctions on five Micro Focus employees, accusing them of supplying Ukrainian law enforcement agencies with software and cybersecurity services for the purpose of collecting data to target Russian troops and infrastructure.

“The activities of these IT companies, which are allies of neo-Nazis, result in the loss of life and could be used against any country whose government isn't aligned with the interests of the Anglo-Saxons,” Russian authorities said in a statement at that time.