After banks, Russian online stores face SSL certificate blocks — up to 20,000 sites at risk
On August 3, 2026, users across Russia encountered a major issue: websites of the country's largest banks, including VTB, Sber, Alfa-Bank, and RSKhB, stopped opening properly in popular foreign browsers such as Chrome, Safari, and Edge. The cause was the refusal of international certificate authorities, including GlobalSign, to renew SSL certificates for Russian companies due to sanctions restrictions. In response, banks began a mass migration to certificates issued by the National Certification Center (NCC) of the Ministry of Digital Development. However, foreign browsers do not trust this root certificate, displaying security warnings and blocking access to the sites.
According to expert Georgy Bagiryan, the current wave of blocks is not a coincidence but part of a larger process of restructuring the country's digital infrastructure. Following the banks, other services essential to users are now in the risk zone. A survey conducted by the publication Fontanka suggests that users believe online store customers could be the next to lose access.
Experts estimate that this fate could affect between 15,000 and 20,000 websites. The problem extends beyond banking: any Russian resource relying on foreign SSL certificates is vulnerable. Online retailers that use international certificate authorities risk losing access for users of popular browsers, which could significantly impact e-commerce across the country.
Specialists recommend that companies prepare for potential blocks in advance: migrate to NCC certificates, inform customers about ways to bypass restrictions, and consider promoting alternative browsers. However, there is currently no complete solution to the problem with foreign browsers — they do not recognize Russian root certificates, leaving any domestic site dependent on international certification infrastructure exposed to sudden loss of availability. The situation highlights the growing digital sovereignty divide and the challenges Russian businesses face in maintaining their online presence amid expanding sanctions.
