Part 26 (1/2)
Minsvyaz is not considered a Russian power ministry because its portfolio covers uncla.s.sified public networks. Nevertheless, Minsvyaz-included on the Security Council's Interdepartmental Committee on Information Security-works with law enforcement agencies and the security services to suppress political dissent on public networks. Its regulatory body, Roskomnadzor, is particularly useful because it can suppress dissent through administrative actions that carry less baggage than a security service visit.
Presidential Decree No. 724 in May 2008 established Minsvyaz's current structure and responsibilities. Minsvyaz is responsible for developing and implementing government policy and regulations covering: Information technology (including state information technology for public access) Telecommunications (including the use of radio frequency spectrum) and postal services Ma.s.s communications and media, including electronic media (Internet, television [including digital], radio broadcasting, and new technologies) Publis.h.i.+ng and printing Processing of personal data Minsvyaz exercises these responsibilities through several subordinate agencies: Federal Communications Agency (Rossvyaz) Responsible for managing state property, providing public telecommunication and postal services, and developing communication networks, satellite communications systems, television broadcasting, and radio broadcasting.
Federal Agency for Press and Ma.s.s Communications (Rospechat) Responsible for providing public services and managing state property in print media and ma.s.s communications, including computer networks, electronic media, and publis.h.i.+ng and printing.
Federal Service for Supervision in Telecommunications, Information Technology and Ma.s.s Communications (Roskomnadzor) Responsible for compliance and supervision of the media-including electronic, ma.s.s media, and information technology-and for processing of personal data and managing the radio frequency spectrum. See the next section, , for more information.
Federal State Unitary Enterprise Scientific Technical Center (FGUP STC) Atlas Responsible for developing and certifying information security and cryptographic technology for the government.[105]
Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FGUP) Communication-Security Responsible for information security of communication systems used by the government and others by contract.
Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FGUP) Research Inst.i.tute Sunrise Responsible for system integration and development of major federal automated information systems, including systems for special applications.
Roskomnadzor
Roskomnadzor issues licenses for telecommunications services, information technology services, and media operations. Roskomnadzor also monitors Russian media for compliance with the Federal Law On Ma.s.s Media. Roskomnadzor's website (puter files and programs.” Article 24 defines any Internet site receiving one thousand visits as ma.s.s media subject to the law. The Russian press points out that this makes popular Internet forums and social media sites ”ma.s.s media,” subjecting journalists to Roskomnadzor oversight. Article 49 requires journalists to verify information's accuracy before publication, providing Roskomnadzor with additional ways to suppress Internet comment.[106] Indeed, Russian press states that Roskomnadzor let a contract in April 2011 for a system to monitor extremist content in online media.
The cyber vigilantes
Roskomnadzor efforts to control extremist Internet content is a.s.sisted by the public minded citizens of the Safe Internet League (Liga Bezopasnogo Interneta). Its symbol is shown in Figure 15-5.
Figure 15-5. Safe Internet League symbol A nonprofit partners.h.i.+p, the Safe Internet League was registered in mid-February 2011, with Igor Shchegolev, Minister of Communications and Ma.s.s Media, as Trustee Board Chairman. The League's address is a box number at Minsvyaz's Moscow headquarters. The Board of Trustees includes the head of the FSB Information Security Center, Mail.ru's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Roskomnadzor's Director, the heads of the major Russian telecommunications companies, and other Russian Internet figures. The League's members.h.i.+p includes: Rostelecom Russia's national telecommunications and Internet provider MTS.
Telecommunication component of AFK Sistema Vimpelcom Telecommunication provider Megaphone Mobile telecommunication provider Mail.ru Group Russia's largest Internet company and social media host Kaspersky Labs Russia's largest Internet security company Axis-TD Group of programmers and psychologists devoted to safe Internet Entensys Russian Internet security company Internet Development Fund Nonprofit supporting Internet development ROCIT.
Russia's oldest Internet industry organization Friendly Runet Internet promotion organization According to its website, the Safe Internet League is a voluntary a.s.sociation of citizens devoted to helping law enforcement organizations. Its volunteers monitor the Internet for violations, and report those violations to law enforcement. The site posts detailed information on the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) Directorate K-the MVD component responsible for Internet crime-and provides a direct email link for reporting violations. In the league's view, violations include child p.o.r.nography, p.o.r.nography accessible to children, promotion of drug and alcohol abuse, and violent or ”extremist” content.
Despite the prominent role a.s.signed to countering child p.o.r.nography, the league's actual focus is social media.[107] The league's website awards its members ranks based on the social networking sites they identify that contain malicious content. Social networking sites are already heavily monitored for p.o.r.nographic content; however, political comment runs rampant. Indeed, Russian press points out that the Safe Internet League's creation coincides with the prominent role a.s.signed to social media during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. In the press' view, the league is actually an attempt to extend law enforcement's monitoring to match social media's expansion.
Ostensibly, the Safe Internet League is funded by the Saint Basil the Great Foundation (plishment is losing millions of dollars for Western private equity funds investing in Russia. In recognition, Mr. Malofeyev was appointed to Rostelecom's board. When interviewed by Russian press, Mr. Malofeyev declined to name the ultimate funding source for the Safe Internet League.
The Safe Internet League is probably created and backed by Russian security services. The Russian Law On Operational Search Activities, NZ 144-03, details the methods available to Russian law enforcement and security services in ”obtaining information about events or actions that threaten the state.” Article 6 states that search activities on technical communication channels ”are carried out using the operational and technical capabilities of the Federal Security Service.” Article 15 states that bodies authorized to conduct search activities can establish ”on a free or paid basis, collaborative relations.h.i.+ps with persons who have agreed to a.s.sist the authorities on a confidential basis, carrying out operative-search activity.” In short, the MVD and FSB can back the Safe Internet League and remain entirely within the bounds of Russian law.
[105] FGUP STC Atlas was formerly subordinate to the Federal Security Service (FSB). The FSB has legislative responsibility for Russia's overall information security, and it controls cryptographic technology. As a result, STC Atlas and the FSB continue a close relations.h.i.+p. STC Atlas also certifies foreign technology for Russian use.
[106] The Federal Law On Ma.s.s Media provides numerous ways for the creative mind to suppress dissent. Article 43 establishes a right of reply, allowing citizens to refute media allegations. Article 44 establishes the modalities for publis.h.i.+ng refutations.
[107] Russian press interviewed the League's financial backer Konstantin Malofeyev and pointed out that his business websites hosted erotic content.
Further Research Areas
So far we have discussed only the top-line structure of Russia's information security apparatus. Operating beneath is a robust network of technical centers, academic ent.i.ties, and commercial companies-many spinoffs of state structures-working on information security. At the national level, Scientific Technical Center (STC) Atlas,[108] formerly subordinate to the FSB, maintains a network of facilities across the country with major development centers in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Nizhniy Novgorod. The MOD's Scientific Research Inst.i.tute for Automation (NIIA) works on information security for strategic command and control. The FSB also maintains several Scientific Technical Centers focused on information security.
And then there are the unacknowledged components. The network of youth groups, inst.i.tutes, and pseudo-NGOs that sp.a.w.n bloggers and websites supporting the government and protecting Russia's ”spiritual life.” These are the people who can form cyber mobs and conduct DDoS attacks when needed, the ones who will fill Facebook and Twitter with pro-Putin pages and tweets.