Russia: Internet shutdown test was successful

Russia has successfully closed the internet in the country from the outside world during a test. The main purpose of the test was to test whether the national Russian Internet could function without international systems and processes.

Russia has shut down the internet in the country for several days to see if the home-built RuNet would continue to function properly. Russian state media report that the test was a success, according to authorities. During the tests, various scenarios were tested in which, according to Russia, it would be necessary to shut down the internet and rely on its own RuNet. Russia has been planning for years to build its own internet that it says can be used in emergencies, although human rights groups say the intranet is mainly intended to spy on users and block unwelcome news, as is happening in China with the ” Great Firewall’. With the RuNet, all internet traffic is routed within Russia itself. In 2021, the country wants to have its own domain name system for this.

Russian authorities did not disclose details about how the internet blockade technically works. They say it looked at the ‘integrity and security’ of the internet, the security of users on mobile networks, and the ability to intercept traffic. It also looked at the risks posed by IoT devices, particularly in industries such as the energy sector where connected devices could potentially be hacked. Russia says it has also looked closely at how authorities work together in emergencies that require shutting down the internet. “The scenarios we have studied are not suitable for all the threats we can imagine,” said the country’s deputy communications minister. “We will continue to explore this process in the coming years.”

Russia initially wanted to conduct the test earlier this year, but that was postponed due to technological obstacles. The country signed a law earlier this year that finalized the introduction of the sovereign internet.