As part of a series of cybersecurity tests, the Russian government will isolate its own networks
According to network security and ethical hacking specialists from the International Institute of Cyber Security, the Russian government would be considering the possibility of disconnecting from the Internet globally for a short period of time, all as part of a cybersecurity test.
This implies that the data sent and received between Russian individuals and organizations will remain in the networks of that country, instead of being transnational routed.
A law that is about to be passed could be the main reason why the Russian government contemplates this option, reports experts in network security. This law establishes that all technical modifications necessary to operate independently must be made.
The test is expected to take place at the beginning of April, although the exact date is unknown.
To implement the project called the Digital Economy program, Internet service providers in Russia are required to be able to operate in the event of a foreign attack isolating Russian networks. Member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) continually accuse the Russian government of promoting cyberwar activities, so they have threaten to impose sanctions on this project.
According to network security specialists, this project stipulates that Russia must have its own version of the DNS system, in order to remain online if the links to these servers are cut.
There are 12 organizations responsible for monitoring root servers for DNS and none of them are in Russia. However, there are already many copies of the network Address Book in Russia, suggesting that their network systems could continue to operate even if punitive measures were taken to disrupt their connection.
These tests will also require Internet service providers to demonstrate the ability to direct data to Russia-controlled routing points. These organizations will filter the traffic so that the data sent to Russian citizens reach their destination without involving any service abroad.
Russia wants all national traffic to pass through these routing points. This is believed to be part of an effort to establish a massive censorship system similar to that implemented by the Government in China, which seeks to eliminate the traffic considered harmful.
News agencies established in Russia report that Internet service providers support this project, although the criteria under which this plan will be implemented are not yet established.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
