Federal Securities Research Articles

Soviet Interference Influence on the Mexican Federal Security Directorate (DFS), 1947–1985

The Mexican Federal Security Directorate (DFS) was established not only to counter domestic opposition but also to address Soviet interference during the Cold War. This intervention, often overlooked by scholars, took the form of subsidies to the Communist Party, training of subversives, recruitment of agents, and other less studied covert actions. While the single-party regime shaped the presidents’ perception of threats and officers’ recruitment until the mid-1960s, it was the silent war between U.S. and Soviet intelligence that primarily influenced the DFS as an organization. Contrary to the traditional narrative, the agency resorted to extrajudicial action only when extensive surveillance and patronage failed, adopting a case-approach type of analysis, tactical products, and strong liaison with the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Russian FSB: a concise history of the Federal Security Service

The Russian FSB: a concise history of the Federal Security Service

Partisan bias in securities enforcement

Abstract In this article, I present a partisan theory of agency enforcement and empirically investigate the possibility of partisan bias in the enforcement of the federal securities laws. Leveraging plausibly exogenous shocks to partisan control of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), I find evidence that a firm’s partisan alignment with the SEC substantially reduces the likelihood of enforcement. For a firm that is ex ante equally likely to be targeted for enforcement or not, my estimates indicate that a typical increase in partisan alignment following a change in party control of the SEC reduces the likelihood of enforcement by over 19%. Partisan alignment also appears to reduce aggregate monetary sanctions, though these estimates are less certain. By contrast, I find little evidence of partisan bias in the initial opening of investigations. These findings suggest there may be meaningful partisan bias in SEC enforcement and have important implications for democratic governance. (JEL D73, K22, K23, K41, K42, P00)

КОМПЛЕКСНАЯ ИНФОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ МОДЕЛЬ ОБЪЕКТОВ ЗАЩИТЫ КОНФИДЕНЦИАЛЬНОЙ ИНФОРМАЦИИ

The problem of harmonization of approaches to the definition of information security objects is becoming increasingly relevant due to the growth of information arrays, the complexity of information technologies, technical and cryptographic means of information protection, and the increasing number of computer attacks, including on critical information infrastructure. Historically, the concept of objects of protection in Russia is associated with the requirements of state regulators, so it has different interpretations. The purpose of the study is to develop an infological model of information security objects. The goal of infological modeling may be to provide the most natural ways for a person to collect and present information about objects of protection for its consideration when creating protection systems and storing in a database. The author based on the analysis of the requirements of the main regulators of the Federal service according to the technical and export control of Russia and the Federal security service of Russia and the modeling method, an infological model of information security objects has been developed. This model is most consistent with the concept of object-oriented design, which is the basis for the development of complex software systems, the development of technology for designing databases of information security objects based on the ER-model. The entity-relationship model (ER-model) has several basic concepts, from which more complex objects are built according to predefined rules.

The Ability of Russia’s Federal Security Service to Influence the Executive Through its Apparatus of Seconded Employees

The French statesman Count Mirabeau once said about then-state Prussia that it “is not a state that has an army, it is an army that has conquered the nation.” 1With some irony, we can apply this statement to the situation in modern Russia by modifying it in this way: Russia is not a state that has a security service; it is a security service that has been ruling the nation. Russian Federation as the successor of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), takes much from the latter in terms of the instruments and the means used by its security agency – the Federal Security Service or the FSB ( Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti). Despite formally proclaiming a democracy, Russia has saved many of the USSR’s “best practices” in state governance, which cannot be considered genuinely democratic. In this article, we look at the FSB’s historical prerequisites and present-day legal bases for using its officers seconded to other government entities and conclude its role concerning Russia’s executive branch. 1“Honoré-Gabriel-Riquetti de Mirabeau,” Drouot Group, accessed July 10, 2023, https://drouot.com/en/l/16525755--mirabeau-honore-gabriel-rique.

GERMANY’S SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN THE LIGHT OF THE INTEGRATED SECURITY – CURRENT STATE AND PROSPECTS

In June 2023, the Federal Government of Germany presented the first national security strategy (NSS). The NSS promotes Integrated Security as a new foreign and security policy. However, research has shown that the idea of Integrated Security is not new and that the integration of all resources of national power has been a goal for Germany for 30 years. Research has purpose to give an answer to following questions: Can the current organization of the German national security system support the idea of Integrated Security as a new security policy and what are the key requirements related to the organization, functioning and management of the German national security system that should be fulfilled so that Integrated Security can be implemented? The basic hypothesis of this research is that the national security system of Germany is not organized and governed in a way that can enable the implementation of Integrated Security, primarily because, on the strategic level, Germany does not have a national security council which could serve as a focal point and impetus for integration, coordination and government of a security system. In order to provide answers to the above stated questions in the first part of paper we explained Integrated Security and the national security objectives of the NSS, then we described organization of the three ministries and security services as the most important actors in the implementation of the NSS objectives at the operational level and at the end we did the capability analysis of the strategic level of management to implement Integrated Security. The research showed that the organizational solutions have not been aligned with the determinations stated in the NSS. The result of this research are proposed solutions for organization and position of the Federal Security Council which should be provided with competencies that will enable the integration of elements from all levels into a single structure which aims to achieve the national security objectives.

Борьба советских военнопленных с нацистскими оккупантами в Севастополе в 1943–1944 годах

The paper deals with one of the little-studied issues in the history of the resistance movement during the Great Patriotic War, namely, the participation of Soviet prisoners of war in the anti-fascist struggle in the ranks of the Communist underground organization in occupied Sevastopol in 1943–1944. The purpose of this article was to study the formation and structure of the aforementioned organization, as well as the involvement in the antifascist struggle of Soviet prisoners of war, and to identify the effect of their activities on the general course of the anti-Hitler struggle in occupied Crimea. The objects of the research are the underground group headed by Nikolai Ignatyevich Tereshchenko (pseudonym Mikhailov), which was part of the Communist underground organization, and the places where it carried out its anti-fascist operations: camps for Soviet prisoners of war around Sevastopol and in the city itself, especially after Tereshchenko’s escape from German captivity. The study was performed within the framework of the large-scale All-Russian educational project “Without Statute of Limitations” aimed at preserving historical memory. Along with providing insights into the tragedy of the civilian population of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War, the paper highlights the heroic deeds of the anti-fascist resistance movement in the temporarily occupied territory of the Soviet Union and demonstrates the contribution of individuals and groups to the defeat of Nazi Germany and its satellites. The author used documents that were declassified in the course of this project by the Federal Security Service Office for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and transferred to the Sevastopol Archives. The analysis revealed a significant feature of the Sevastopol underground: prisoners of war were one of the most important components of the Communist underground organization, performing risky and dangerous tasks deep behind enemy lines. According to the plan, in the event of a Black Sea Fleet landing, it was the prisoners of war who were supposed to be the striking force and spark an armed uprising in the occupied city. Consequently, it is concluded that Soviet prisoners of war were one of the combat weapons teams of the Sevastopol underground movement, which carried out various operations: reconnaissance, agitation and propaganda, as well as sabotage and subversion deep behind enemy lines.

Повышение эффективности деятельности органов внутренних дел Российской Федерации по предупреждению и пресечению преступлений экстремистской направленности в сфере межнациональных отношений

The article reviews the concepts of extremist activities introduced by Federal Law No. 114-FZ of July 25, 2002 On Combating Extremist Activities, addresses the need to improve methodological and practical approaches to carrying out activities aimed at combating extremist manifestations. The author concludes that there is a need to raise the efficiency of operations of internal affairs agencies aimed at prevention and suppression of extremist crimes, which should encompass a whole set of events, and ensure due interaction between various security, defense and law enforcement agencies in charge of extremism combating (the Supreme Court, the Federal Security Service, the Federal Service of National Guard Troops, etc.) including with the participation of foreign and international organizations.

Russian Orthodox Church: Kremlin’s ‘invisible hand’ in war against Ukraine | A Igreja Ortodoxa Russa: a ‘mão invisível’ do Kremlin na Guerra contra a Ucrânia

The article intends to demonstrate that the foreign policy of the Russian Orthodox Church (IOR) affects the implementation of Moscow’s policy in the war against Ukraine. The main goal is to determine how the Kremlin, through various hybrid capabilities and techniques, uses the IOR to implement its foreign policy vectors. The study is based on a historical analysis of the international activities of the IOR, focusing on the activities of the Department of Church External Relations (DREI) of the Patriarchate of Moscow, which was created, in 1946, by Stalin and taken over by Vladimir Putin. In this context, the DREI of the Patriarchate of Moscow was and continues to be “the invisible hand” of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), which works under religious cover at the world level.

The Missing Millions: Cy Pres in Federal Securities Class Actions

The Missing Millions: Cy Pres in Federal Securities Class Actions

Exempting From the FAA Agreements to Arbitrate Federal Securities Law Claims

Exempting From the FAA Agreements to Arbitrate Federal Securities Law Claims

Working methods of the Russian secret services in the light of the Oleg Kulinich case

The author analyses the case of the detention of Ukrainian Security Service officer Oleg Kulinich on suspicion of espionage for the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation. On the basis of the analysis of the tasks posed to this Russian agent, he concludes that the modus operandi of Russian counterintelligence is diametrically opposed to the methods of Western services. The main difference is the shifting of the centre of gravity of operational activities from reconnaissance-information work to attempts at agentic seizure of control over enemy institutions, mainly civilian and military special services, and the realisation of intelligence infiltration by people with the same habitus as recruitment candidates. Drawing on the achievements of cognitive psychology and research in recent history, the author demonstrates that the Russian services have been using and refining these methods for more than 100 years.

Tasks associated with FSB activities at the present stage

The article examines current problems faced by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) at the present stage. Topics covered are the changing global political situation, technological progress, cyber threats, and the need to modernize approaches to security. Internal challenges related to strengthening corporate culture, combating corruption, and the formation of a new type of professional training of specialists were considered as well.

От царя до вождя: реконструкция истории православной общины Казанско-Богородицкой церкви села Алексашкино (на материале архивных документов)

The paper offers a reconstruction of the history of the Russian Orthodox parish formed around the church of Our Lady of Kazan in the village of Aleksashkino, Saratov region (formerly Samara province) in the 19th-20th century. The reconstruction is based on the previously unstudied documents from the state archives of Samara and Saratov regions, archives of the Federal Security Service (Saratov region), and “Samara Diocesan Gazette” materials, as well as interviews with village elders.The study aims to recreate the life of the typical Russian Orthodox parish in the Volga region and examine the evolution of the social institutions connected with the church. The parish history appears in a context of interrelations with the secular government that took a dramatic turn in the Soviet period. The evolvement of the village’s educational institutions receives special attention. Another essential part of the proposed reconstruction is tracing the personalities who stood behind the parish activities – priests, churchwardens, and village teachers. Their names and details of their lives are an inseparable part of the suggested reconstruction. The paper offers a periodization of the parish history that includes five stages, starting from the preaching house and finishing with the 1951 fire. Each period is considered within a separate paper section, while the conclusion summarizes the data on the modern village church. References accompanying the data offer vast opportunities for the further investigation of the Orthodox parishes in the Volga region.

Corporate governance at Pinterest: time for more changes?

Research methodology Data for the case came from public sources, including legal proceedings, court filings, company press releases and Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Case overview/synopsis In June 2020, former Pinterest employees made public charges of gender and racial discrimination. Despite changes implemented by the company, several Pinterest shareholders filed derivative lawsuits charging the company with breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, abuse of control and violating federal securities laws. The case provides an overview of the company’s management, board and stock structures, as well as information on the shareholders who sued the company and their concerns. The case raises substantial questions about management’s and board member’s responsibilities in corporate governance, illustrates how stock structures can be used to impede governance and suggests ways to evaluate activist shareholders. Complexity academic level This case is appropriate for graduate, advanced undergraduate or executive education courses in strategy, corporate governance or strategic human resources that discuss corporate governance, fiduciary responsibilities, designing workplace culture or management responses to shareholders. Instructors can apply two sets of theories and frameworks to this case: theories of corporate governance and Hirschman’s (1970) exit, voice or loyalty framework in the context of shareholder activism.

The Impact of Legal Nihilism on the Russian Federation Security

The Impact of Legal Nihilism on the Russian Federation Security

Mapping Migration in Russia: Review of the “Migration Atlas of the Russian Federation”

The article is a review of the scientific publication “Migration Atlas of the Russian Federation” prepared by a team of authors from the IDR FCTAS RAS and North-Caucasus Federal University (Moscow : ITD Perspektiva, 2022. 180 p.) The publication covers a wide range of issues related to intra-regional, internal and external migration in Russia, the management of its flows at the national and international levels. The Atlas provides a comprehensive picture of the scale, directions and structure of migration flows within Russia, including in the regional context, as well as migration exchange with countries of the near and far abroad. The publication includes 10 chapters devoted to inward and international migration, the place of Russia in global migration flows, passport and visa relations, certain types of migration (labor, educational, ethnic), migration infrastructure, etc. The sources of statistical data and regulatory documents for the Atlas are Russian (Rosstat, Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, etc.) and international (World Bank, United Nations Population Division, International Organization for Migration, etc.) organizations and departments. The Atlas contains extensive textual, cartographic and statistical information covering migration processes in Russia and abroad for the period from 1991 to 2022. The materials contained in the Atlas are of great scientific interest and are of outstanding practical importance. The visual presentation of information makes it accessible not only to researchers, but also to representatives of authorities, as well as to all those interested in the topic of migration in the Russian Federation.

Саратовская церковная интеллигенция в годы гонений. Материалы к биографии А.А. Соловьёва

The article collects and systematizes biographical materials about the life of the most prominent representative of the Saratov church intelligentsia in 1920–1930, Alexander Aleksandrovich Solovyov, who played an important role in upholding OrthodoXy in Saratov. A. A. Solovyov, a lawyer by education, as a very young man led the lay resistance to the Renovationist turmoil of 1922. During the most difficult years for the Church in 1922–23, at the age of 25 he was one of the leaders of the Saratov church life, thanks to him the renovationists in the Saratov diocese achieved almost nothing. In the 1930s, during the campaign to close churches, the rectors and members of the parish councils of the churches of Saratov turned to Alexander Alexandrovich for legal assistance. Understanding perfectly well the danger to which he exposed himself, Alexander Alexandrovich again entered the struggle for the Church. For the first time, the article introduces into scientific circulation the materials of two archival and investigative cases from the Archive of the Federal Security Service of the Saratov Region.

The Effect of the Security and Exchange Commission’s Investigations into Corporate Social Responsibility Performance

We examine the effect of the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) investigations into firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Adopting a staggered event study setting and analyzing all public and private SEC investigations into possible violations of federal securities laws, we find that firms reduce their investment in ESG-related activities and experience significantly lower CSR performance while being investigated by the SEC. This baseline finding is more pronounced among firms that appoint a large auditor or force their CEO to resign. To address concerns about potential endogeneity, we also conduct a multiperiod dynamic analysis and estimate our baseline regressions using the propensity-score-matched sample. Our results further reveal that the negative effect of SEC investigations on CSR performance manifests in CSR activities related to corporate governance and firms’ products. Overall, we highlight some unintended consequences of SEC investigations.

The 1999 Moscow Bombings Reconsidered

Abstract This paper examines the evidence that the Federal Security Service (FSB) was behind the 1999 apartment bombings to bring Vladimir Putin to power. Although this version of events may prove true, this article posits that evidence for this assertion is lacking and that current arguments for this version have considerable flaws. In addition, although the official version, despite its weaknesses may also well prove true, the paper posits an as yet an unexplored version to explain the bombings as an “inside job.” The paper looks at the atmosphere prevailing in Moscow that Fall and Berezovskii’s purported role in bringing Vladimir Putin to power which is often overstated. Nonetheless, Putin’s failure to conduct a proper investigation of the bombings makes him complicit in them.