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In December 2024, Roskomnadzor will conduct exercises to disconnect RuNet from the global network. The supervisory authority, together with telecom operators, will evaluate the effectiveness of the main backup infrastructure in a situation of intentional disconnection of the Russian Internet from the outside.
Exercise on the sovereign Internet
Roskomnadzor (RKN) plans to conduct exercises to practice the scenario of disconnecting Russia from access to the foreign Internet. This follows from the letter of the Central Bank of Russia, which was sent to all management companies controlled by it. CNews has a copy of the letter.
As a representative of Roskomnadzor told CNews, the goal of the exercises is to confirm the readiness of the Russian Internet to ensure the availability of key foreign and Russian services in the event of intentional external influence.
During the exercises to practice the scenario of disconnecting Russia from access to the foreign Internet, together with telecom operators, the effectiveness of the main backup infrastructure will be assessed in a situation of intentional disconnection of the Russian Internet from the outside. Information systems whose functionality depends on interaction with services, libraries and other resources located in foreign networks will also be identified.
Roskomnadzor did not specify the specific list of organizations included in the exercises. And the Central Bank did not respond to CNews' questions at the time of publication of this material. However, in its document, it explained that organizations participating in the isolation of the Runet can retain access to the foreign Internet by submitting a corresponding application to Roskomnadzor before November 15, 2024.
Ordinary Russian users will not be affected by these works, according to Roskomnadzor.
Recall that in the event of threats, Roskomnadzor can carry out centralized traffic management in the manner approved by the government. Since 2019, the department has been installing technical means of countering threats (TMTS) on operator communication networks, which are equipment for deep traffic filtering (DPI - Deep Packet Inspection). In the event of a threat, operators should be guided by traffic routing taking into account the exchange points contained in a special registry.
Not the first and not the last
In response to a CNews request about holding similar exercises, Roskomnadzor previously gave the following answer: “Checking the readiness of key systems to ensure the stability of the Russian segment of the Internet is carried out annually in accordance with the Decree of the Government of Russia dated October 12, 2019 N 1316 “On approval of the Regulation on conducting exercises to ensure the stable, secure and integrated functioning of the information and telecommunications network “Internet” and the public communications network on the territory of Russia”. The schedule of the exercises is approved by the Ministry of Digital Development, in agreement with the FSB of Russia and Roskomnadzor.”
RKN held the first such exercises in 2019 within the framework of the law on the “sovereign Runet”. The Ministry of Communications summed up its results on the same day, recognizing them as successful. Several scenarios were considered during the exercises. The first of them concerned ensuring the security of cellular users, including the protection of personal data and preventing the interception of their traffic and SMS, as well as the disclosure of location information. The second scenario examined the risks and vulnerabilities of smart devices, including their use in critical information infrastructure facilities.
In 2022, Russian authorities announced that the domestic segment of the Internet was preparing for a potential disconnection from the global network. In this regard, cyber exercises were regularly held with the participation of banks, telecom operators and leading Internet companies, which confirmed that the Russian Internet would be able to function autonomously.
At the end of October 2022, Sergei Khutortsev, director of the center for monitoring and managing the public communications network of the Main Radio Frequency Center (GRChTs), which is subordinate to Roskomnadzor, reported that the results of the exercises held in August of the same year confirmed this possibility. Participants in the exercises included owners of large Internet resources, including media and financial sector companies, as well as RuTube. Khutortsev emphasized that in order to ensure the reliable functioning of Russian Internet resources, it is necessary to ensure their independence from foreign software libraries and actively use Russian encryption key certificates to access domestic resources.
How the isolation of the Russian Internet is implemented
“It is technically possible to turn off the international Internet in certain regions,” Igor Beder, director of the investigation department at T.Hunter and expert on the NTI SafeNet market, told CNews. “The authorities have control over Internet providers and can introduce appropriate measures to restrict access to international resources. Similar to how access to prohibited web resources and VPN services is blocked today.”
Technically, turning off the international Internet can be done not only by blocking, but by setting up Internet traffic routing through internal Russian nodes. As a result, users in the regions can limit access only to resources hosted on servers within the country, the expert explains.
According to Bederov, the introduction of such a measure could be an attempt to control the information space and restrict access to unwanted content or sources of information. “However, this could also lead to isolation and restriction of access to global knowledge, the ability to communicate and exchange information,” Igor Bederov warns.
Exercise on the sovereign Internet
Roskomnadzor (RKN) plans to conduct exercises to practice the scenario of disconnecting Russia from access to the foreign Internet. This follows from the letter of the Central Bank of Russia, which was sent to all management companies controlled by it. CNews has a copy of the letter.
As a representative of Roskomnadzor told CNews, the goal of the exercises is to confirm the readiness of the Russian Internet to ensure the availability of key foreign and Russian services in the event of intentional external influence.
During the exercises to practice the scenario of disconnecting Russia from access to the foreign Internet, together with telecom operators, the effectiveness of the main backup infrastructure will be assessed in a situation of intentional disconnection of the Russian Internet from the outside. Information systems whose functionality depends on interaction with services, libraries and other resources located in foreign networks will also be identified.
Roskomnadzor did not specify the specific list of organizations included in the exercises. And the Central Bank did not respond to CNews' questions at the time of publication of this material. However, in its document, it explained that organizations participating in the isolation of the Runet can retain access to the foreign Internet by submitting a corresponding application to Roskomnadzor before November 15, 2024.
Ordinary Russian users will not be affected by these works, according to Roskomnadzor.
Recall that in the event of threats, Roskomnadzor can carry out centralized traffic management in the manner approved by the government. Since 2019, the department has been installing technical means of countering threats (TMTS) on operator communication networks, which are equipment for deep traffic filtering (DPI - Deep Packet Inspection). In the event of a threat, operators should be guided by traffic routing taking into account the exchange points contained in a special registry.
Not the first and not the last
In response to a CNews request about holding similar exercises, Roskomnadzor previously gave the following answer: “Checking the readiness of key systems to ensure the stability of the Russian segment of the Internet is carried out annually in accordance with the Decree of the Government of Russia dated October 12, 2019 N 1316 “On approval of the Regulation on conducting exercises to ensure the stable, secure and integrated functioning of the information and telecommunications network “Internet” and the public communications network on the territory of Russia”. The schedule of the exercises is approved by the Ministry of Digital Development, in agreement with the FSB of Russia and Roskomnadzor.”
RKN held the first such exercises in 2019 within the framework of the law on the “sovereign Runet”. The Ministry of Communications summed up its results on the same day, recognizing them as successful. Several scenarios were considered during the exercises. The first of them concerned ensuring the security of cellular users, including the protection of personal data and preventing the interception of their traffic and SMS, as well as the disclosure of location information. The second scenario examined the risks and vulnerabilities of smart devices, including their use in critical information infrastructure facilities.
In 2022, Russian authorities announced that the domestic segment of the Internet was preparing for a potential disconnection from the global network. In this regard, cyber exercises were regularly held with the participation of banks, telecom operators and leading Internet companies, which confirmed that the Russian Internet would be able to function autonomously.
At the end of October 2022, Sergei Khutortsev, director of the center for monitoring and managing the public communications network of the Main Radio Frequency Center (GRChTs), which is subordinate to Roskomnadzor, reported that the results of the exercises held in August of the same year confirmed this possibility. Participants in the exercises included owners of large Internet resources, including media and financial sector companies, as well as RuTube. Khutortsev emphasized that in order to ensure the reliable functioning of Russian Internet resources, it is necessary to ensure their independence from foreign software libraries and actively use Russian encryption key certificates to access domestic resources.
How the isolation of the Russian Internet is implemented
“It is technically possible to turn off the international Internet in certain regions,” Igor Beder, director of the investigation department at T.Hunter and expert on the NTI SafeNet market, told CNews. “The authorities have control over Internet providers and can introduce appropriate measures to restrict access to international resources. Similar to how access to prohibited web resources and VPN services is blocked today.”
Technically, turning off the international Internet can be done not only by blocking, but by setting up Internet traffic routing through internal Russian nodes. As a result, users in the regions can limit access only to resources hosted on servers within the country, the expert explains.
According to Bederov, the introduction of such a measure could be an attempt to control the information space and restrict access to unwanted content or sources of information. “However, this could also lead to isolation and restriction of access to global knowledge, the ability to communicate and exchange information,” Igor Bederov warns.
