Why the website blocked according to requirements of Roskomnadzor "put" Telegram

In the past weekend (on June 3-4, 2017) an essential part of the Russian Internet users faced a strange problem: unexpectedly were blocked many popular resources, such as Telegram the Messenger, Booking.com, Mail.ru, rbc.ru, etc. Blocked there were also social networks: Odnoklassniki, VKontakte, Facebook. The reason was unexpectedly simple: the owner of the website blocked by Roskomnadzor registered the IP addresses of popular resources at himself in DNS.

On the Internet, as well as in Russia, there are two troubles. The first is an abundance of the prohibited URL which the act of the Russian Federation obliges to block; the second — wide circulation of handicraft methods of URL filtering. For example, among telecom operators filtering to the IP addresses which, in fact, URL filtering is not is very popular.

Instead of deeply analyzing the passing Internet traffic (DPI), to select in it URL and to make blocking of the necessary requests and answers, the operator goes on simpler way: selects the IP addresses on which the blocked resources are at the moment located and blocks all traffic going on them without understanding. At subscribers of such providers on Saturday-Sunday Odnoklassniki "fell".

CEO of RDP.RU Sergey Nikulin

The root of a problem consists that the law requires "block Internet resources and also separate information on Internet resources". It allows ambiguous interpretation of what is Internet resources (strictly speaking, the resource is not only the Web server) that needs to be blocked, and does not contain information at all, about what means "block" and as it is necessary to do it.

From explanations of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications and Roskomnadzor it is known that it is about blocking of URL, however the method of this blocking is besides not clear, it remains at the discretion of provider. Being guided by logic and common sense, it is possible to judge that time is about filtering of URL, and URL contains at the application layer of the ISO/OSI model, only the correct method of URL filtering is DPI (Deep Packet Inspection). However there is no accurate recommendation to do quite so in the legislation, and desire to save pushes providers on "curve schemes" of the solution of this problem.

The following results: the owner of the blocked website on the DNS server ties the IP addresses of popular resources to the domain name. The filtering software of provider addresses DNS of the blocked resource, receives these IP addresses and blocks them that, actually, and occurred.

Thus, the owner of any prohibited resource can write everything that wants and "drop" any known website in the DNS. What to it for it will be? Under the law - anything! Any owner of the DNS server can use the device to destination without any claims from supervisory authorities. So specialists of the industry predict that "entertainment" will become popular and daily.

Of course, everything depends on provider. Who will continue to use the handicraft filtering programs – will receive this daily rake. It does not threaten owners of high-quality URL filters. If the device recognizes traffic contents, then it "will never "put" the same Telegram, only because the owner of the blocked domain, added its IP address to DNS.

The output arises one: the only means of fight against similar diversions is the URL filtering which is based as is banal sounds, on search and the analysis of URL, but not IP or still some indirect signs. In this case not to do without DPI. Ideally, it should be legislatively fixed as insufficient clearness in this question already resulted in serious difficulties at providers and their users.

From this one more problem of operators, whose business "grows" today and it is so not too profitable - it is the need for upgrade. However, it is possible not only to purchase the missing solutions providing deep traffic filtering in property, but also to lease.

Upgrade without the capital investments – here a basic reason because of which today more and more companies prefer rent model. The equipment is provided without pledges, guarantees and paperwork that profitable distinguishes lease from leasing and crediting. What is received by the operator? He at once completely solves all problems with URL filtering, AS Auditor and Roskomnadzor. So forgets about penalties and in advance it is protected from the above-stated actions of owners of the blocked resources.

Further it is possible to dispose of quietly released resources: sell an obsolete equipment, dispose of the saved budget. At competent approach itself can very quickly learn to compensate monthly lease payments – by implementation of flexible tariff plans.

In case of growth of requirements the operator does not spend money for upgrade, and makes changes to the lease agreement and receives more powerful device on replacement. It is remarkable that after three years of lease, the device carries over the operator.

Sergey Nikulin, CEO of RDP.RU

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