Public Communication Network Monitoring and Management Center

History

2023

Creation of a platform to combat vulnerabilities of Russian sites

A scanning system is being created on the basis of the Public Communications Network Monitoring and Management Center, which will identify vulnerabilities in the information security of Russian services, providing an opportunity to quickly eliminate them. The press service of Roskomnadzor announced this on June 9, 2023.

The department said that in Russian information systems, including sites, database systems, mail servers, there are often information security vulnerabilities. Their operation leads to compromise of systems and leaks of personal data. At the same time, more than 10 services operate in the foreign segment of the Internet, which constantly scan and identify vulnerabilities, including in Runet. Such information is used by cybercriminals for computer attacks on the Russian infrastructure.

Information security vulnerabilities are often present in Russian information systems, including sites, database systems, mail servers

Creating your own system for testing information resources on the Internet will increase information security and reduce the likelihood of hacking. Such a decision will also have a positive effect in the context of a shortage of information security specialists, help the management of organizations to assess the current level of protection and give recommendations to eliminate typical vulnerabilities, "said Dmitry Ovchinnikov, chief specialist of the integrated information protection systems department at Gazinformservice.

At the same time, he recalled that such services are good only as an additional measure in ensuring information security. For truly reliable protection, it is necessary to start with secure development, properly and regularly maintain the system during work and not forget about organizational moments and work with personnel. And for high-quality and full-fledged testing of information systems, it is necessary to conduct audits and penetration testing, which, as a rule, is carried out by employees with high competence and experience, or give the task to outsourcing companies implementing such a service, he added.^[1]

GRCC will spend millions on cybersecurity CMU SSOP

On May 31, 2023, the Main Radio Frequency Center (GRCC), which is part of Roskomnadzor, entered into an agreement for the provision of cybersecurity services for the information system of the Public Communications Network Monitoring and Management Center (IS CMU SSOP).

This platform is the main IT system of the GRCC. The tasks of the SMU SSOP, among other things, include organizational and technical monitoring support in order to identify threats to the stability, security and integrity of the functioning of the Internet and the public communication network in Russia. In addition, the center's specialists are developing recommendations for countering cyber attacks and hacker intrusions.

The official website of the Unified Procurement Information System reports that the GRCC has concluded an agreement on the implementation of work to ensure the protection of the SMU SSOP infrastructure with a single contractor. The name of this company was not disclosed, but it is known that the contract amount is 9,899,762 rubles. Of these, 8,899,762 rubles were allocated from budget funds.

The documentation says that the contractor will provide monitoring and response services to information security incidents. In addition, work will be carried out on instrumental security analysis and testing of the information system for penetration. All obligations under the contract must be fulfilled by the contractor by December 31, 2023.

As the director of the TSMU SSOP Sergey Khutortsev noted, in the current geopolitical situation, the number of attacks on the Russian information space has increased significantly. In these conditions, the center was directly involved in repelling a number of external intrusions: in particular, enhanced round-the-clock monitoring and response to information security incidents was organized.^[2]

2021: CMU will deal with DDoS attacks

On October 20, 2021, it became known that the Center for Monitoring and Management of Public Communications Networks (CMU), created within the framework of the law "on sovereign Runet," will be used in the fight against DDoS and other hacker attacks in addition to its main function - blocking prohibited content in Russia.

We intend to develop the system specifically in the direction of countering attacks, complex threats that affect the entire Russian Internet, - said the head of the center Sergei Khutortsev (quoted by TASS).

The State Center for Communication Network Management in the Russian Federation will deal with DDoS attacks

According to him, new technological advanced methods are needed to counter threats of interference in the operation of communication networks. The director of the CMU noted that in 2021 the power of DDoS attacks reached 2.5 Tbit/s. Individual operators are not able to handle such volumes of traffic. Therefore, the new system will prevent hacker attacks and neutralize them until the operator moves to the network.

One of the main activities of the monitoring center is to effectively use the mechanisms, the tools that we have, the information that we have collected. Including to provide assistance and support to the community, telecom operators, and so on. Next year, we plan to make a number of public services, primarily showing information about how routers work in the Russian segment, services a la Looking Glass and the like, - said Khutortsev.

According to the CMU, technical means of countering threats (TSPU), which filter traffic from content prohibited in the Russian Federation, by October 2021 are installed on more than 500 nodes of telecom operators, 73% of broadband Internet traffic goes through them (broadband access) and 100% of mobile traffic, in 2022 TSPU is planned to be installed on more than 1 thousand nodes, which will cover 95% of broadband access traffic.^[3]

2019

Roskomnadzor instructed to allocate subsidies for the "sovereign Internet"

The Government of the Russian Federation adopted in May 2019 a decree on the procedure for providing subsidies from the federal budget for the creation and operation of the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communications Network and the corresponding information system. The document instructs Roskomnadzor to determine the organization that will receive the appropriate subsidies^[4].

The organization chosen by Roskomnadzor, within the framework of the creation of the Monitoring Center, will have to perform a number of tasks: the development of software and hardware that provides monitoring of traffic routes on the Internet; development of software and hardware that provides monitoring and management of the public communication network; ensuring the collection of information about addresses, numbers of autonomous systems and connections between them, traffic routes in the Internet, as well as management of software and hardware that ensure the security of the Russian segment of the Internet; commissioning of Internet traffic filtering system when using information resources by children.

This organization will also have to process and summarize information on the operation of communication networks of telecom operators, including information and traffic passing through communication networks, and accumulate information on the topology of a public communication network. A Russian organization that is not under foreign control and does not have debts to the budget will be able to apply for subsidies.

Government decree on the establishment of the center

On February 22, 2019 Governments of the Russian Federation , a resolution was published on the website on the creation of the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communications Network. It will have to be formed by July 1, 2019. Roskomnadzor

The main goal of the creation of the Center for Monitoring and Management of the Public Communication Network is to ensure the integrity, stability and security of the public communication network due to the presence of potential information security threats that may affect the operation of communication networks of telecom operators, the public communication network as a whole, as well as the Russian segment of the Internet, - said in a document published on the website of the Cabinet.

Network Monitoring Center is being created in Russia

The new institute will summarize and process information about the operation of communication networks of different operators, as well as information about emergencies that occur on networks, is indicated there. Such measures are needed to analyze system failures and predict the possible risks of the stability of Russian communication networks, follows from the certificate.

According to the Izvestia newspaper, additional funding will not be attracted, since the project is already provided for within the budget of Roskomnadzor  and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications. According to experts, the Network Monitoring Center will fight the "gray schemes" of traffic passing through the border: according to them, Russian operators lose more than 375 million rubles annually, and the budget does not receive the corresponding tax deductions.

By May 1, 2019, the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications must submit to the government a list of types of information that will be provided for monitoring, as well as prepare draft legal acts that ensure the implementation of the monitoring system. Information monitoring and management system by the communication network should work by the end of 2019.^[5]

Notes