Inside Cyber Warfare - Jeffrey Carr [138]
As for Center “E,” it works in several fields: suppressing extremist organizations and associations, including youth groups, and counteracting religious extremism and ethnic extremism. In short, it fights terrorism.
Independent Russian press, however, claim that Center E is focused on political dissent—especially critics of Prime Minister Putin—and vice extremism. The press draws analogies between Center E and the Ministry of State Security (KGB) 5th Directorate, targeting ideological crime and dissent.
Russian government opponents and supporters both state that Center E is aggressively using the Internet to identify targets. MVD Lieutenant-General Yuri Kokov currently heads Center E. Kokov’s press spokesman Yevgeniy Artemov detailed the methods available to Center E under Russian law:
According to the law On Operational Investigative Activities, the list of operational investigative measures includes: interrogation; making inquires; surveillance; the searching of structures, buildings, facilities, parcels of land and transportation assets; the control of mail, telegraph and other communications; monitoring of telephone conversations; as well as operational penetration.
General Yuri Kokov stated that Center E maintains an extremist database, which integrates existing databases from the MVD, FSB, and FSO. The existing databases include near real-time information on train and airline ticket purchases. MVD officers can access the database via desktop and handheld devices.
Russian Interior Ministry Cyber Crimes Directorate (MVD Directorate K)
The Directorate for Combating Crimes in the High Technology Sphere (Directorate K) of the Russian Federation Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD RF) investigates cyber crimes and illegal activity related to information technology in Russia. Directorate K works closely with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and with foreign law enforcement agencies.
Directorate K’s current responsibilities include:
Computer crime
Illegal access to computer information
Manufacture, distribution, and use of malicious software
Fraudulent use of the electronic payment system
Child pornography
Telecommunications and Internet crime
Illegal use of either cellular or wired telecommunications networks
Fraud executed through either telecommunications networks or Internet
Illegal access to commercial satellite and cable television
Illegal sale of electronic and special technical equipment (monitoring equipment)
Copyright violations and pirating of equipment and software
International crime in the information technology sector
Cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies
International cooperation against any crime committed with information technology
Russian press, however, states that Directorate K works with the FSB and MVD Center E to suppress domestic political dissent. In December 2007 Novaya Gazeta stated that major Russian hosting service Masterhost blocked access to opposition websites after receiving a letter from Directorate K. Sergey Kopylov, head of Masterhost’s legal department, acknowledged that Masterhost had received an MVD communication about suspending service. Novaya Gazeta wrote to Directorate K’s press service—normally eager to place stories concerning Directorate K activity—without receiving a reply.
Opposition party leaders also detailed DDoS attacks on their websites and disruptions in cell phone service. They complained that the authorities displayed little interest in their problems, stating Internet activity would probably move to foreign servers. In March 2010 Solidarity member Olga Kurnosova told Ekho Moskvy Radio that Directorate K shut down the 20March website for being extremist. According to Ms. Kurnosova, opposition activists used the site for communication and coordination of protests.
Russian officials are concerned