(Updated: Jan 7, 2017)
Shortly before the recent United States presidential election, a dedicated cybersecurity hotline amongst Moscow was used past times president Obama to warn the Russian authorities non to interfere amongst the election procedure through hacking operations.
Press reports compared the cybersecurity amongst the "Red Phone", which many people believe is used on the Hotline betwixt Washington in addition to Moscow. That's non true, in addition to also Obama's message seems non to convey been transmitted past times phone, but through an email channel which is maintained past times the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC).
The Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC) at the United States State Department,
which also maintains the cybersecurity communications link
betwixt United States in addition to Russian Computer Emergency Readiness Teams
(screenshot from a State Department video)
Obama's message
The fact that on Oct 31, United States president Obama sent the Russians a straight message through the cyber channel was showtime reported on Dec 16. Three days later, NBC News came amongst some details nearly the content of the message. According to anonymous officials, it included phrases similar "International law, including the police for armed conflict, applies to actions inwards cyberspace" in addition to that the United States "will handgrip Russian Federation to those standards."
However, some other senior intelligence official told NBC that the message was "muddled" because at that topographic point was no vivid trouble set downwardly in addition to no clear alarm given nearly the consequences. According to the official, the Russian reply was non-committal. It's Direct Communications Link (DCL, which is the official call of the Hotline) in addition to the Direct Voice Link (DVL) betwixt both heads of state.
We convey no information nearly how this straight cybersecurity vocalization trouble is secured, but earlier, similar high-level bilateral telephone links consisted of Secure Telephone Equipment (STE), provided past times the US.
Usage
As the press reports say that Obama's message was sent via the NRRC, nosotros convey to assume that it was inwards the cast of an e-mail, in addition to non a telephone retrieve through the secure vocalization channel. It was also reported that "the Obama direction had never used the cyber trouble before", but it's non actually clear whether that way that the president never sent a message this way, or that the scheme was never used inwards whatever way.
The latter would hateful that since 2013 no information nearly suspicious network intrusions has been exchanged betwixt Russian Federation en the US. The secure vocalization trouble for cybersecurity incidents has in addition to so in all likelihood also never been used - this sort of high-level straight telephone lines seem rarely used inwards general.
Watch ticker of the National Cybersecurity in addition to Communications Integration Center (NCCIC),
which includes the US-CERT. On the correct there's an STE secure telephone.
(photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images - click to enlarge)
The Nuclear Risk Reduction Center
The relay of cybersecurity messages is instantly i of the tasks of the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC), which is located inwards the United States Department of State (DoS). Its Russian equivalent is component subdivision of the Russian Ministry of Defence. The Cyber Security Protocol agreed upon inwards 2013 is the latest of fourteen arms command treaties in addition to agreements for which the NRRC exchanges information amongst to a greater extent than than 55 unusual governments in addition to international organizations.
The NRRC consists of a scout ticker that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a yr in addition to is staffed past times Department of State Foreign Service officers, civil servants, in addition to technical back upwardly personnel. They furnish in addition to have inspection notifications, exchanges of information regarding strategic offensive arms, prior notifications of major exercises or unit of measurement restructurings, in addition to other treaty-required communications.
The NRRCs were established past times an understanding betwixt the the States in addition to the onetime Soviet Union from September 15, 1987 inwards gild to construct confidence through information telephone commutation nearly their nuclear arsenals. The centers became operational on Apr 1, 1988. After the split-up of the Soviet Union inwards 1991 this secure information link, officially called Government-to-Government Communication Link (GGCL), was extended to Ukraine, Republic of Belarus in addition to Kazakhstan.
Initially, these communication links consisted of facsimile devices, amongst (one-time pad) encryption conducted past times personal computers in addition to the random keys provided on 5¼ inch floppy disks, only similar on the Washington-Moscow Hotline. As of belatedly 1995, the NRRC communications shifted to encrypted email amongst an additional chat channel for coordination purposes.
State Department video nearly the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (2012)
(click to play)
Red Phone versus Hotline
It may live on to a greater extent than than clear instantly that Obama's alarm message had aught to create amongst a "Red Phone", but it should live on mentioned that the White House in addition to the state of war machine did job ruby-red phones, although non for international, but for internal communications betwixt the president in addition to the state of war machine command centers. This was achieved through a secure state of war machine telephone network: the Defense Red Switch Network (DRSN).
Through pop culture, the epitome of a ruby-red telephone became projected to the straight communications link betwixt Washington in addition to Moscow, but this is false: the Hotline was never a telephone line, every bit it was railroad train inwards 1963 every bit a teletype connection, which inwards 1988 was replaced past times facsimile units. Since 2008 the Hotline is a highly secure reckoner link over which messages are exchanged past times e-mail.
> Read more: The Washington-Moscow Hotline
What the Hotline concluding at the Pentagon looks similar present tin live on seen inwards the next picture, which was released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of this communications link inwards 2013:
The Washington-Moscow Hotline concluding room at the Pentagon (2013)
(photo: www.army.mil - click to enlarge)
Other options?
Besides the cybersecurity channels, the NRRC in addition to the Hotline, the United States authorities has 2 additional channels for straight communications amongst the Kremlin: the Foreign Affairs Link (FAL) betwixt the State Department in addition to the Russian unusual ministry, in addition to the Defense Telephone Link (DTL) betwixt de defence forcefulness ministries of both countries. Both are secure telephone lines, which also be amongst a gain of other countries.
> See also: Bilateral hotlines worldwide
This way that president Obama had several other options for transmitting his alarm to Russia. It seems the NRRC cybersecurity channel was chosen because it was nearly the threat of cyber attacks, but still, such a alarm message seems non what that channel is meant for, which is the telephone commutation of technical information nearly actual intrusions that could live on misinterpreted every bit a deliberate attack.
Therefore, the Foreign Affairs Link (FAL) would in all likelihood convey been to a greater extent than appropriate: United States secretarial assistant of terra firma John Kerry could convey called his Russian counterpart to number the warning. But generally, for of import messages inwards which every give-and-take counts, written communications are preferred, so that left entirely the NRRC or the Hotline.
Using the Hotline was in all likelihood considered every bit good dramatic, in addition to so the remaining pick was the cybersecurity channel maintained past times the NRRC.
Links in addition to sources
- The Washington Post: Obama’s undercover create out to punish Russian Federation for Putin’s election assault (2017)
- New York Times: Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking (2017)
- NextGov: Obama direction is unopen to announcing measures to punish Russian Federation for election interference (2016)
- EmptyWheel: White House Confirms Pre-Election Warning to Russian Federation Over Hacking
- The White House: U.S.-Russian Cooperation on Information in addition to Communications Technology Security (2013)
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