Russia's Site-Blocking System Isn't Performing and Could Even Collapse (torrentfreak.com) 27
Blocking access to internet resources requires lots of hardware but due to sanctions, there are fears in Russia that a breakdown in systems operations may be just months away. Andy Maxwell, reporting for TorrentFreak: Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been going on for more than a month. It isn't going to plan. In parallel with the terrible images being shared around the world, Russia is using its infamous site-blocking systems to deny access to websites that dare to challenge the Kremlin's narrative of Putin's 'Special Operation.' Telecoms regulator Roscomnadzor is working harder than ever to maintain its blockades against everything from Google News, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, to the thousands of pirate sites and other resources on the country's blacklists. But, like the invasion itself, things aren't going to plan here either.
A little over a week ago, local telecoms operators supplying internet access to Russian citizens were ordered to carry out "urgent checks" on their ability to continue blocking sites deemed illegal by the state. ISPs were required to carry out an audit and liaise with telecoms regulator Roscomnadzor. Today is the reporting deadline but according to several sources, problems are apparent in the system. With accurate and critical reporting being all but strangled by the state, it is not absolutely clear who or what ordered the review but the consensus is that prescribed blocking standards aren't being met. As previously reported, local torrent site RuTracker suddenly found itself unblocked earlier this month, reportedly due to issues at an ISP. Problems are also reported with the Roscomnadzor-controlled 'TSPU' Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) system embedded into the networks of around 80 local ISPs and recently used to restrict Tor, VPNs and Twitter traffic.
A little over a week ago, local telecoms operators supplying internet access to Russian citizens were ordered to carry out "urgent checks" on their ability to continue blocking sites deemed illegal by the state. ISPs were required to carry out an audit and liaise with telecoms regulator Roscomnadzor. Today is the reporting deadline but according to several sources, problems are apparent in the system. With accurate and critical reporting being all but strangled by the state, it is not absolutely clear who or what ordered the review but the consensus is that prescribed blocking standards aren't being met. As previously reported, local torrent site RuTracker suddenly found itself unblocked earlier this month, reportedly due to issues at an ISP. Problems are also reported with the Roscomnadzor-controlled 'TSPU' Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) system embedded into the networks of around 80 local ISPs and recently used to restrict Tor, VPNs and Twitter traffic.
As somebody who has worked on blocking (Score:1)
As somebody who has worked on blocking for legit reasons (to stop attacks, known bad actors, etc.) if I were ordered to do something like this, I might start to find "technical reasons" why it was not feasible to accomplish such things in the time allotted. I'm not saying that's what's happening; but as somebody who worked on networks and took pride in the idea that the Internet was for providing global connectivity to all, it goes hard against the grain to enable that kind of censorship. My morale would
Re: (Score:1)
if I were ordered to do something like this, I might start to find "technical reasons" why it was not feasible to accomplish such things in the time allotted.
That's when the oppressive regime tells you that it's in the best interest of the health and well being of your family that you do what you've been told. It's all well and good to say you'd act in a principled manner when it's a hypothetical situation, but I doubt the I.T. workers in Russia have the same luxury.
It's also ironic that you wrote this while posting as anonymous (which for awhile has required logging in and selecting the option to post anon, so you obviously have a registered account). Yeah, I
Re: (Score:2)
if I were ordered to do something like this, I might start to find "technical reasons" why it was not feasible to accomplish such things in the time allotted.
That's when the oppressive regime tells you that it's in the best interest of the health and well being of your family that you do what you've been told. It's all well and good to say you'd act in a principled manner when it's a hypothetical situation, but I doubt the I.T. workers in Russia have the same luxury.
That's why you don't refuse the job, you just do it poorly and slowly.
PS: I'm not the original poster, and I have no issues publicly opposing and condemning the Russian neo-fascist regime and their assault and occupation of a peaceful neighbour.
Re: As somebody who has worked on blocking (Score:2)
"That's why you don't refuse the job, you just do it poorly and slowly"
Or if you are bold plant a logic bomb that goes off once you have gotten your family to safety.
The opressive regime's network is your shitpot
Re: As somebody who has worked on blocking (Score:2)
One idea: Turn the locks around.
Do the job well and fantastic, but then the lock turns around automatically to lock out the oppressors. :>
Re: (Score:2)
OMON: Population must be prevented from seeing all sites which do not tell Putin-truth or be shot!
IT geek: Which sites would you like me to block?
OMON: These sites. Now you have seen list of sites which cannot be seen, you will be shot too.
Re: (Score:2)
why it was not feasible to accomplish such things in the time allotted
Prior to the Ukraine fiasco, Russia had already instructed its ISPs to block certain sites, IIRC. So either the effort to ramp up the scope of such blocking by a factor of 10 or 100 or more would have been understood. Or the futility of successfully implementing such blocking would be understood.
Years ago, when the first blocking efforts were undertaken, both the futility and/or immorality of such efforts would have begun to become evident. That was the time to get out. Now it's too late.
Russia also blocks for "legit reasons". (Score:2)
Russia also blocks for "legit reasons" (to stop attacks, known bad actors, etc.)
Re: (Score:1)
Good news for Russian mothers (Score:2)
Now they can go to russoldat.info [russoldat.info] to find pictures of their sons/husbands/relatives killed in Ukraine, or what's left of them, since Putin will never say what happened to them.
Re: (Score:2)
Now they can go to russoldat.info [russoldat.info] to find pictures of their sons/husbands/relatives killed in Ukraine, or what's left of them, since Putin will never say what happened to them.
AFAIK, that's not secret on an individual basis - just in aggregate. IIRC, one of the ways some sources have estimated Russian losses is by reading local announcements of deaths, and combining that.
Re: (Score:2)
A coup d'état attempt in Russia would likely not consist of idiots in viking helmets happily snapping selfies inside of their capitol building. It would be a futile loss of civilian lives, as they'd be mercilessly slaughtered by Putin's oppressive regime.
Any coup in Russia would be performed by the security/intelligence forces or the military, with the encouragement of the oligarchs.
The ordinary populace would have little involvement.
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly. It all comes down to what the oligarchs, military, spies, and Putin's personal guards want.
Re: (Score:1)
Any coup in Russia would be performed by the security/intelligence forces or the military, with the encouragement of the oligarchs.
The ordinary populace would have little involvement.
If having their boats/planes/other assets frozen hasn't convinced them their leadership sucks, nothing they read in western media (which they likely still have access to, being rich and all) is going to further drive the point home.
A successful coup requires the backing of the ordinary population. It's just that over here in America we kind imagine these things to be relatively bloodless, because our leadership understands that the responsible parties can be located and arrested after the fact. Russia is
Re: Not as if it's making much of a difference (Score:2)
See no evil, hear no evil. speak no evil.
Scince the invasion began, all of the keyboard warriors came out of the woodwork saying the Russian people should rise up and overthrow Putin. What they keyboard warriors fail to realize is that how the fuck are you going to overthrow a government who has everything up to NUKES at their disposal with whatever antique hunting rifle or rusted out AK-47 they have access to, if even that? And the Gulag which is much worse than death. And what about their kids who best ca
Re: Not as if it's making much of a difference (Score:2)
"If having their boats/planes/other assets frozen hasn't convinced them their leadership sucks"
It should be open season for their assets to be looted by whoever wants them world wide. If a Russian ogliarch is a victim of a crime, police just do nothing.
"Pirates stole your yacht? Unsorry, but we can't help you."
Re: Not as if it's making much of a difference (Score:2)
If it comes down to Russian citizens engaging in physical fighting to remove the current regime, guerilla warfare is the only real option, and not to be squimish in getting real dirty. That includes black bagging ogliarchs and others in high places and removing their faces and testicles and being as savage and brutal as possible when doing so. Morality is not welcome in this fight. It's has to be incredibly medieval and barberic.
This is very likely how it's going to play out in Russia.
"It isn't going to plan. " (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
That appears to be the case, but until that plan is made public, this is just editorializing.
Nope, it's easy to see things aren't going to plan. The whole intent of the attack was to cripple Ukraine, seize and kill Zelensky, and install the former Russian puppet Yanukovich back into power.
None of this has happened and as of today, Russian troops are in retreat around Kyiv and Chernihiv and where they're not retreating they're being attacked and driven back [forbes.com]. Several maps I saw today showed several pockets of Russian troops cut of, but not fully surrounded, to the west and east of Kyiv, with Ukrain
Re: (Score:2)
When the dust settles, whether the Russians are driven out at gunpoint, or they leave after Zelenskyy promises to be Putin's fuck boy, Ukraine is proper fucked up.
Thousands of dead Ukrainian civilians, and Ukrainian soldiers also litter that landscape. With cities largely reduced to rubble dotting the horizon.
So ya, it kind of is editorializing.
It's hard to say what Putin's plan was. If it was strictly punitive, well, punishment has occurred.
Re: "It isn't going to plan. " (Score:2)
I just hope whenever this nightmare ends, the Russian people will stand up and say "NO MORE!". The next aspiring Putin gets black bagged and a one way ticket to the Gulag, or maybe just summarly executed inside a warehouse outside of Moscow.
Russia is a beautiful country but their politics always sucked. Time for their politics to not suck.
Deep Packet Inspection (Score:2)
I assume it takes significant hardware to monitor all the internet traffic in a country and try to block specific aspects of it. The thing that caught my eye was the "Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) system". So when you can't just look at headers and addresses and you also have Tor and VPNs to deal with, I expect it takes even more beefy hardware. That's what could be negatively affected by export restrictions.
Hmm (Score:2)
a breakdown in systems operations may be just months away
Are these collapses going to stay "months away"?
(You know, the way we are going to stop using oil always stays about 15 - 25 years away?)
If their nuke stockpile and armada is any indicati (Score:2)
I would expect their Great Firewall to be in the same condition.
(Imagines a bunch of corroding Pentium 2 machines that emit alarming smells of smoldering components ready to burn up, all spliced together with electrical tape and running pirated copies of Windows 2000)