Roskomnadzor implements a deep traffic filtering system to block Telegram

Telecommunications operators have begun installation of equipment installed under the Runet’s “protection” law , the head of Roskomnadzor Alexander Zharov told reporters on the sidelines of the Spectrum 2019 forum in Sochi.

According to the head of the department, testing of the equipment will begin in one of the Russian regions at the end of September and will last until mid-October.

The fact of participation in testing solutions was also confirmed by Andrey Ushatsky, MTS Vice President for Engineering and Information Technologies. According to him, the test zone for testing is organized on the operator’s network in the Urals.

Earlier, Zharov said that over the course of the year, the department he heads will demonstrate the operation of a system that can block Telegram and stop the distribution of “prohibited content”. The head of department said:

“We will first conduct a technical check – it affects traffic, does not affect traffic, whether all services work successfully. And then we will test it in combat mode. So far, everything is going fine, ” Zharov said.

According to a source from the Reuters agency, the equipment in question is a hardware and software complex of the Russian manufacturer RDP.ru, in which the state Rostelecom owns 15%. In March, Russian media wrote that the decision of RDP.ru was found to be effective in a laboratory experiment.

According to the requirements of the Runet isolation law, all telecom operators in the Russian Federation are required to install technical means on their networks, including DPI – Deep Packet Inspection, a system for deep traffic filtering. The equipment should determine the source of the transmitted traffic, and also have the ability to restrict access to resources with prohibited information not only to network addresses, but also by prohibiting the passage of traffic through the pass, the document says.

Zharov noted that there is a technical task of the experiment, which spells out the parameters that should be achieved, and threats that should not arise. At the same time, experts from telecom operators, Roskomnadzor, FSB, FSO and manufacturers of installed equipment participate in the process. The head of the department said that they would tell about the results of the experiment in mid-October, but so far he cannot disclose all the details. Zharov explained:

“On the other side of the barricades are also high-tech groups of programmers who are closely following what we are doing. Therefore, my reluctance to speak is solely due to information security issues. ”

Recall that in early May, President Putin signed the law on isolation of the Runet , which will enter into force on November 1. The Kremlin called the document a precautionary measure, and the State Duma said that the bill was prepared “taking into account the aggressive nature” of the US National Cyber Security Strategy adopted in September 2018.

Federation Council speaker Valentina Matvienko emphasized that the authorities have no intentions to impose restrictions on Russians on the Internet, but critics of the bill fear that the autonomous network will create opportunities for total censorship. This year, several cities in Russia held rallies for freedom of the Internet.

Publication date 09/25/2019
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