The Russian Internet and telecom regulator, Roskomnadzor, has begun to install tools in Internet service providers’ networks that will allow the agency to cut off Russian web traffic from the rest of the world in case of a cyber threat to the Russian Internet as a whole.
Roskomnadzor head Alexander Zharov told the TASS news agency that the installation process was underway. He said initial tests for the isolation mechanism would begin by the end of September and conclude by November.
“At first, we’ll be doing technical testing to check whether [the system] affects traffic or not, whether all the services work successfully. And then we’ll test it in combat mode. So far, everything’s going fine. When we finish the experiment, I’ll announce the results,” Zharov said.
On May 1, President Putin enacted a new law that aims to “ensure the safe and sustainable functioning” of the Internet in the country.
The authorities say the law will defend the country against foreign aggression, serving as insurance, in case Russia’s global Internet access is shut off from abroad. Supporters of the law also argue new legislation is needed to protect the country against cyberattacks. But critics see in this law an unrealistic construction and yet another setback for Internet freedom in Russia.
