Scientists Have Developed a Device That Provides Cybersecurity of the Russian Internet

Samara University scientists have developed the NetTestBox 1.0 device that makes it possible to track the share of domestic traffic "leaking" abroad. This hardware and software complex will help ordinary users to increase the speed of information exchange, and providers to detect an information attack and protect important information from being intercepted.

The monitoring system NetTestBox 1.0, created by the researchers of the Department of Supercomputers and General Informatics of Samara University, solves cybersecurity problems of the Russian segment of the Internet. The share of domestic channels that are serviced abroad, according to the university scientists, now exceeds 20%, while the main Internet control centres are located outside of Russia. This poses a danger to various information attacks –  from hacking IP addresses to traffic intercepting. According to the federal programme “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” approved in 2018, by 2020 the share of the domestic traffic of the Russian segment of the Internet transmitted through foreign servers should drop to 5%. The university's engineers elaboration helps in solving this state task, since it allows one to track the network characteristics of the quality of communication and to conclude whether the traffic is leaking abroad or not.

"In fact, we presented an advanced analogue of the RIPE Atlas device of the European Internet Control Centre RIPE NCC, – said Professor of the Department of Supercomputers and General Informatics Andrey Sukhov. – There are no similar monitoring systems in Russia. NetTestBox 1.0 makes it possible to measure one-way delay of data packets, in contrast to foreign counterparts, which record only two-way delay (the transfer time of the packet back and forth). It is on the basis of the value of one-way delay that traffic leak outside Russia can be judged". The device also calculates the percentage of data packet loss, network jitter (unwanted deviations in the delay of the transmitted packet), network bandwidth and a number of other characteristics.

The defining feature of data leakage is abnormal signal routing. Information sent from the server from Samara to Moscow can make a "detour" through Stockholm or even Frankfurt. Deviation from the direct route is called abnormal. "The traffic that went outside of Russia can be recorded and decoded, as a result, fraudsters can receive confidential information or access keys to the equipment", –  said Yevgeniy Sagatov, Assistant Professor of Supercomputers and General Informatics Department. 

Technically, the process of identifying "anomalies" is as follows: NetTestBox 1.0 is installed on the window (so that the device can have access to data from satellites), and then it is connected  to the computer. “The device receives data from satellites and records the time it takes for the traffic travel from one provider to another as accurate as possible in microseconds”, – said Andrey Sukhov.

The first tests of the software and hardware complex showed its stable operation and high productivity. At the moment, it is expected to update the software, utilities and new software version. The upgrade is primarily associated with new features of the Linux kernel, allowing to find out the time of sending and receiving data packets with high accuracy. According to the scientists, this upgrade at the level of user software will allow to get rid of unwanted signal delays on measuring devices, thereby increasing the speed of information exchange between Russian users. However, they emphasize that the target audience of NetTestBox 1.0  are providers who can monitor the status of their networks using the device. And in case of "anomalies" detection, they will take measures to correct the routing and to establish traffic Internet exchange (peering).

For reference

The NetTestBox 1.0 software and hardware complex is designed to measure the performance metrics of IP networks. It includes a Raspberry pi microcomputer with Linux operating system and a highly sensitive receiver of global positioning systems – GLONASS / GPS / BeiDou / Galileo. To get started, the device is fixed on the window and connected to the electrical network and to a computer that has access to the Internet. NetTestBox 1.0 is patented by Rospatent (№ 172333).