Russia’s Defense Ministry has completed work on a nationwide intranet designed exclusively for classified data.
According to the Izvestia newspaper, the Russian military has created its own email service for the transmission of sensitive materials, including documents marked “top secret.”
“The final work was completed at the end of this summer, and the network has been fully operational ever since. Currently, we are planning to expand the network by installing additional terminals at more military units and institutions,” a source in the Defense Ministry told Izvestia.
According to the newspaper’s source, Russia’s “military Internet” partly relies on equipment leased from national telecommunications operator Rostelecom.
Izvestia says the intranet has its own websites that can only be accessed through computers that have been approved by federal agents. These approved computers, moreover, have all been disabled from connecting to peripheral devices, such as flash drives, printers, and scanners.
For years, defense officials have pursued the means to protect Russia’s Internet connectivity against the potential threats of external snooping and shutoffs. Earlier this year, the Communications Ministry announced plans to duplicate 99 percent of the Internet's critical infrastructure within Russia.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
