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Putin Gives Federal Security Agents Two Weeks To Produce 'Encryption Keys' For The Internet (gawker.com)
An anonymous reader writes: The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, has ordered the Federal Security Service (FSB) to produce "encryption keys" to decrypt all data on the internet, and the FSB has two weeks to do it, Meduza reports. The head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov, is responsible for accomplishing such a task. "The new 'anti-terrorist' laws require all 'organizers of information distribution' that add 'additional coding' to transmitted electronic messages to provide the FSB with any information necessary to decrypt those messages," reports Meduza. "It's still unclear what information exactly online resources are expected to turn over, given that all data on the internet is encoded, one way or another, and in many instances encryption keys for encrypted information simply don't exist." Some of the details of the executive order include requiring telecom providers and "organizers of information distribution" to store copies of the content of all information they transmit for six months and store the metadata for three years so the Kremlin can access it whenever they want. In order for that to happen, ISPs would need to build new data centers capable of holding all that information and buy imported equipment, all without state subsidies, where they risk going bankrupt. To actually operate the data centers, the Russian government would need to upgrade Russia's outdated electrical grid and cables, which could cost between $30 and $77 billion. What about the "encryption keys?" In addition to storing all the transmitted information, "organizers of information distribution" have to turn over "any information necessary to decrypt those messages." Therefore, "additional coding" will need to be added to all electronic messages to act as instructions for the FSB to "decode" them. Many services and websites don't have "keys" or are fundamentally unsharable, like banks and financial institutions. Nearly all electronic information needs to be "encoded" in some way. Bortnikov has two weeks and the clock starts now. Good luck!
What was the old saying in Tsarist Russia? Something like, "If 5 people get together to plot revolution, what you have is one revolutionary and four police informants." We are not talking about a country that has ever really been free since the earliest Viking settlements in places like Moscow. Hundreds of years of autocracy or oligarchy. What else would they produce politically but Putin and an encryption ban?
Empty, dead, pointless parody of law.
I might feel better about that if my own government and those of many of our Western allies weren't trying to do essentially the same thing, also with a perfectly straight face.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
Many reasons:
-Trying to oust Bortnikov, for when he inevitably fails Putin has a reason to toss him or large parts of the FSB out.
-Justification for giving them (FSB) more funding or more powers to accomplish these goals (as a result of inability to accomplish goals with current resources).
-It could also be to create a large effort in the FSB with the rationale that the FSB will have no choice to resort to heavy handed tactics, which will them be targeted at institutions and/or ISP's that through "random coincidence" have slighted Putin somehow.
But yes, Putin is very smart--and also very shrewd.
Maybe because if Putin is assassinated, it only empowers someone even worse to stroll up and say "see, this is why we need to be even stronger and more secure". Maybe. I'm not an expert.
Possibilities in order of likelihood
1) This reporting is wildly inaccurate, and misses key details, like for example only part of the implantation must be completed in two weeks or similar.
2) Putin is doing this for political cover, he has intelligence there is going to be another terror attack in Russia or one of its surrogates. The intel is not good enough to prevent it, but he wants to look like he is 'doing something'. The argument will be if only people had got out of his way an let him do this sooner the tragedy would have been avoided. It both bolsters his strongman persona and gives an excuse to expanding executive power.
3) Putin is created a legal excuse to punish people who are otherwise political enemies, noncompliance with this new law will provide a legal cover an a veneer of legitimacy.
4) Putin is perfectly aware this is impossible but it will produce a flurry of activity from people who will be trying desperately to save the careers by at least appearing to comply in good faith, in hopes others will take the blame for the obvious eventual failure. Putin plans to utilize all this activity as a distraction to enable some other covert objective to be completed.
5) Putin has totally left the reservation.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
and in many instances encryption keys for encrypted information simply don't exist
Ahh keyless encryption: for when you really don't care to ever get the data back.
Many keys are ephemeral. Once the information has been received and acknowledged, both parties discard their keys. If you intercept one of these messages, no one will ever have a way of decrypting it. The only way to get the information is to double back and beat it out of one of them.
Maybe if all ISPs in Russia are required to do this, it will be done.
I'm thinking that this will really reduce foreign investment in Russia. And business & the economy will take a direct hit over the next several years.
There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
A solid economy is certainly not Putin's first concern. Perhaps the contrary: despots do not thrive in problem-free states.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
ISPs fail to have this system in place within 14days. Putin "takes over" all internet providers, claiming full share ownership of them.
See - Russian Oil, coal, gas, solar, farms, manufacturing, Processor Manufacturer (MCST) etc. All now 100% owned by Putin.
Superman? This is the Internet. It's more like announcing that all cats in Russia will be herded into a single pen located at the FSB. They don't have the pen built, they don't know where all the cats are or how many of them there are, and the cats are unlikely to be cooperative.
Get it done in 2 weeks.