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Russia Wants To Launch Backup DNS System By August 1, 2018 (bleepingcomputer.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report from BleepingComputer: The Russian government plans to build its own "independent internet infrastructure" that will be used by BRICS member states -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The plan was part of the topic list at the October meeting of the Russian Security Council, and President Vladimir Putin approved the initiative with a completion deadline of August 1, 2018, according to Russian news agency RT. The Russian Security Council has today formally asked the country's government to start the building of a backup global DNS system that Russia and fellow BRICS member states could use. The Russian Security Council cited the "increased capabilities of western nations to conduct offensive operations in the informational space." Russia, China, and many other countries have criticized the U.S. for hoarding control over the domain naming system (DNS), a position they claim has allowed the U.S. to intercept and tap global internet traffic. The U.S. has relinquished control over the DNS system last year.
A backup makes it sound like it is a plan in case of failure. This sounds a bit like they are looking for an alternate DNS if they disapprove of something the US (or other countries) has done. From the article "In addition, the backup DNS system also allows these states to isolate websites and services that other countries could not access."
Sent from my TARDIS
My guess Russian logic goes like this: it is not improbable that relationship between the US and Russia could deteriorate to a level where the US would use control of the root DNS as a weapon. Unfortunate as it may be, but this move appears to be an adequate reaction to this possible threat.
Every bit of that was hypocritical bull. It's an open secret that Russia has been conducting their own offensive operations for years now, and they have been getting away with it specifically because the US can't "intercept and tap global internet traffic" as the Russians claim.
But their excuses for segmenting off their own corner of the internet aren't really meant for us, anyway; they're directed inward. In fact, this entire maneuver is almost certainly directly linked to Russia's desire (and that of their allies) to more thoroughly block access at will to large swaths of the internet, for their own populace. Don't like the latest anti-Russian sentiment on Slashdot or on Facebook, because it comes to close to exposing the truth? No problem -- just block it! When they start implementing their real agenda, they'll likely position it as an "anti-porn" initiative or some such thing, but make no mistake; this is all about controlling the information that reaches the people that matter the most... the ones who might one day rise up against the Orwellian control being exerted by their government.
Information control only works for so long, before little bits of the truth leak through the cracks.
They're still going to have access to the regular internet so no change in hacking or spam. Just regular russians being put on an internet that is easier to sensor when the censors control the DNS system and can not only pull opposition friendly websites' DNS certifications, they can also deny them certifications in the first place.
In case you're not familiar with the Russian media landscape, pretty much all newspapers and all TV channels are loyal to the Kremlin. This is because Putin put the fear of god into the oligarchs who own them when he jailed Mikhail Khodorkovsky on a made up fraud charge and then nationalized his company because he owned media that was pro opposition. The internet is really the only outlet the political opposition has that isn't actively trying to sabotage them and promote the people in power and their policies.
What all this really boils down to is another crackdown on the opposition following years of large anti-government protests organized via the internet and which the government has been unable to quash.
"Why should I want to make anything up? Life's bad enough as it is without wanting to invent any more of it."
You don't know how "the web" works. Anyone can make their own DNS system and many of us do. It's easy and changes nothing about the rest of the internet.
I have my own DNS servers too. As you say, anyone can stand one up. Just choose your favorite *NIX distribution and configure Unbound and NSD. BOOM! There you go.
"the web" isn't a monolithic thing which can be forked. It is a network of networks. Lots of different groups do lots of different things using the network, this is just one more
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