In May, President Vladimir Putin signed into law a policy to set in motion the segregation of the RuNet, which had already been approved by the Russian Parliament. The law requires Russian telecommunications companies to introduce mechanisms to re-route traffic through exchange points exclusively managed or approved by the telecommunications regulator, so that no traffic is routed outside the country where it could be vulnerable to interception.

Although the law was only approved this year, this ambitious project is likely to have already taken years of work.

This month, the government initiated a series of tests to check that Russian internet services would continue to function when isolated from the global internet infrastructure and DNS system, essentially turning the Russian internet into a vast intranet. It completed the tests on Monday with the help of telecommunications companies, government agencies, and local internet companies.

The government stated that it tested several disconnection scenarios, including a simulation of a state-backed cyber-attack. According to the Vedomosti newspaper, over half of the simulated cyber attacks succeeded in penetrating Russia’s cyber defences, indicating that there is a considerable amount of work to be done.

Addressing reporters, Digital Minister Aleksei Sokolov commented: “Our goal was to provide an uninterrupted internet service on Russian territory under any circumstances. The outcomes of the review showed that government agencies and communications operators are ready to respond effectively to threats and to ensure the internet and communications operate effectively.”

Sokolov added that his department would submit a report on the trial to be reviewed by President Putin in 2020.

The segregation of the Runet is part of its Digital Economy National Program: a policy which is intended to provide the Russian government with the power to “centralise management over the Russian internet” when threatened, including the power to cut off external traffic entirely. The law was introduced in response to what has been characterised as an “aggressive” American cybersecurity strategy.

While the establishment of a sovereign internet puts the Russian government in a better position to fend off foreign cyber-attacks, critics have also argued that it could lead to greater internet surveillance and restriction. Putin has dismissed these concerns, stating that a sovereign internet could also be a free internet.

In May, President Vladimir Putin signed into law a policy to set in motion the segregation of the RuNet, which had already been approved by the Russian Parliament. The law requires Russian telecommunications companies to introduce mechanisms to re-route traffic through exchange points exclusively managed or approved by the telecommunications regulator, so that no traffic is routed outside the country where it could be vulnerable to interception.

Although the law was only approved this year, this ambitious project is likely to have already taken years of work.

This month, the government initiated a series of tests to check that Russian internet services would continue to function when isolated from the global internet infrastructure and DNS system, essentially turning the Russian internet into a vast intranet. It completed the tests on Monday with the help of telecommunications companies, government agencies, and local internet companies.

The government stated that it tested several disconnection scenarios, including a simulation of a state-backed cyber-attack. According to the Vedomosti newspaper, over half of the simulated cyber attacks succeeded in penetrating Russia’s cyber defences, indicating that there is a considerable amount of work to be done.

Addressing reporters, Digital Minister Aleksei Sokolov commented: “Our goal was to provide an uninterrupted internet service on Russian territory under any circumstances. The outcomes of the review showed that government agencies and communications operators are ready to respond effectively to threats and to ensure the internet and communications operate effectively.”

Sokolov added that his department would submit a report on the trial to be reviewed by President Putin in 2020.

The segregation of the Runet is part of its Digital Economy National Program: a policy which is intended to provide the Russian government with the power to “centralise management over the Russian internet” when threatened, including the power to cut off external traffic entirely. The law was introduced in response to what has been characterised as an “aggressive” American cybersecurity strategy.

While the establishment of a sovereign internet puts the Russian government in a better position to fend off foreign cyber-attacks, critics have also argued that it could lead to greater internet surveillance and restriction. Putin has dismissed these concerns, stating that a sovereign internet could also be a free internet.