FSB creates a unified communication system

Russian intelligence agencies are preparing for potential cyber attacks from abroad and possible leaks of secrets, as has already happened to US security forces. As Kommersant learned, President Vladimir Putin approved the FSB's idea of creating an integrated communications network for the needs of defense, security and law and order. The state CITiS, headed by one of the founders of FAPSI, Army General Alexander Starovoitov, can implement a project of unprecedented scale. However, the project can cost tens of billions of dollars, and, for example, the special network did not help the Pentagon protect itself from serious leaks.

The FSB proposes to monitor potential cyber threats by creating a communications network for defense needs, as well as ensuring security and law enforcement.
Photo: Gennady Gulyaev, Kommersant

The FSB approached Vladimir Putin with the initiative to create “an integrated communications network for the needs of national defense, state security and law enforcement” (ISS), a source close to one of the ministries told Kommersant. He clarifies that, at the proposal of the FSB, the authorized authority for the creation, management and operation of information systems should be Rossvyaz, and TsITiS (Federal State Autonomous Institution “Center for Information Technologies and Systems of Executive Authorities”) should be the only executor of work on creating the network.

According to Kommersant, Vladimir Putin supported these proposals on May 31, 2013, and a draft corresponding government order is now being discussed by the relevant ministries. In particular, we are talking about the federal target program (FTP) “Creation of an integrated communications network for the needs of national defense, state security and law enforcement.” It is expected that the draft concept of the Federal Target Program will be submitted to the government in September. The Presidential Press Service and Information Department does not comment on this.

“Traditional approaches to building and ensuring information security of communication networks of special consumers, based on the use of resources of public communication networks, do not provide protection of communication networks and control systems from cyber influences, from malware during the implementation of information special operations, attacks by cyber terrorists and other cyber crimes,” states Kommersant's source in the government. He recalls that in January 2013, Vladimir Putin instructed the FSB to develop a state system for predicting and preventing cyber attacks on Russian information resources. In August, the FSB developed a bill on ensuring the information security of the Russian Federation, and also proposed increasing criminal liability for hacker attacks.

Advisor to the head of Rossvyaz Vladimir Kalinin knows about the existence of a project to create an ISS. According to him, Rossvyaz was considered as the federal authority responsible for its creation, but the department does not know about the final decision. “The volume of construction and the list of specific tasks are unknown. The experience of Rossvyaz can be applied in the construction of communication networks for any purpose,” said Vladimir Kalinin.

In a conversation with Kommersant, CITiS executive director Pavel Starikov said that he was “not aware of this project,” but assured that CITiS has experience in creating communication networks. Judging by the information on the TsITiS website, the institution specializes in projects in the field of IT (encryption, supercomputers, Internet search engines); There are no mentions of federal-scale telecommunications projects on the TsITiS website. However, CITiS President Alexander Starovoitov has extensive experience in implementing large-scale government projects. In 1991, during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin, Alexander Starovoitov was one of the founders of the Federal Agency for Government Communications and Information (one of the KGB departments was attached to FAPSI), which he led until the end of 1998. At Mr. Starovoitov’s reception, they were unable to provide Kommersant with a prompt comment on the article. The FSB press service did not respond to Kommersant’s request, and the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications declined to comment.

Although all law enforcement agencies have their own private e-mail and cellular communications, security forces use communication services from various operators (Rostelecom, MegaFon, etc.).

At this junction, according to the FSB, there is a threat to national security: “a number of states” are creating means of dangerously influencing public networks, disrupting their operation and gaining unauthorized access to them. In addition, now a considerable part of Internet traffic, even from Old Square to the Kremlin, actually goes through the territory of the United States, a source close to the Security Council told Kommersant. At the same time, many employees of the Kremlin administration prefer to use foreign Internet mail services, such as gmail.com, adds Kommersant’s interlocutor.

In recent years, the Ministry of Defense raised the issue of creating such a communication network, but it was believed that this was a project “from the realm of science fiction,” says a Kommersant source in the ministry: “Suppose it is possible to lay Russian optical fiber along the main channels of Rostelecom, Transtelecom, but when building a network, you will still have to use American Cisco,” points out Kommersant’s interlocutor at the Ministry of Defense. General Director of Voentelecom Alexander Davydov in an interview with Kommersant said that the domestic telecommunications industry is in total import dependence on foreign suppliers, which is why it cannot be considered a reliable technological basis for command and control.

A dedicated special communications network for all law enforcement agencies should include switches, terrestrial and satellite communication channels, a separate satellite and a single control center, former Rostelecom CEO Anton Kolpakov told Kommersant: “The construction of such a network will be comparable in scale to the construction of the second one.” Rostelecom", but with less bandwidth. Such a network will cost tens of billions of dollars." According to him, back in 2009, several schemes for creating a separate communication network for security forces were discussed, but at the same time there was always talk of using the resources of existing operators, in particular Rostelecom. Then the discussion participants could not agree on financing the project, as well as on who would become the coordinator, Mr. Kolpakov recalls. The cost of the project and sources of financing do not appear in the FSB’s proposals, clarifies Kommersant’s interlocutor in the government (for adjustments to the federal budget for 2014-2016 and possible shortfalls in revenue, see the material ).

Several countries around the world have unified special communications networks, but the largest is the American SIPRNET. The SIPRNET network was created by the Pentagon and connects all security agencies, the State Department and the White House. It protected well from outside threats, but since a large number of employees had access to it, there was the possibility of insider leaks. As happened with analyst Bradley Manning, who leaked 600 thousand files from this network to the WikiLeaks portal.

Vladislav Novy, Anna Balashova, Elena Chernenko

Capital expenditures of the Big Four, including the construction of communication networks (RUB billion)

201020112012

MTS	69,2	66,8	82,8
Megaphone	67,2	70,9	44,1
VimpelCom	65,4	59,8	50,7
Rostelecom	53,2	83,2	91,2

Source: company data

Law enforcement agencies are united into a network