Roskomnadzor expanded the blocking of VPN protocols
By ForGeeks
Roskomnadzor has updated TSPU settings and started blocking three new VPN protocols – SOCKS5, VLESS and L2TP. Their restriction was confirmed by RBC’s sources in the telecom and infobez spheres, as well as by experts interviewed.
TSPU Settings Update
Roskomnadzor has updated the configurations of technical means of countering threats that are installed on the networks of Russian telecom operators. Traffic is filtered through TSPU: the equipment counteracts external attacks, including DDoS, and also blocks access to prohibited resources or reduces the speed of connection to them. Three sources in the telecom market and information security industry told RBC about the changes, and their information was confirmed by invited experts.
RBC’s interlocutors noted that the new TSPU settings include additional mechanisms to limit blocking circumvention. According to them, it was at this stage that the regulator strengthened its efforts to detect and block VPN traffic by expanding the list of prohibited protocols.
Blocking new VPN protocols
Sources say Roskomnadzor has started blocking SOCKS5, VLESS and L2TP. These protocols are used by VPN services to establish secure connections. They determine the channel construction scheme, speed, encryption level and resistance to access restriction attempts. There are dozens of protocols, and VPN services cannot operate without them.
As explained by the interlocutors of the publication, different VPNs use different technologies, so the impact on specific protocols directly affects the availability of services to circumvent blocking. Blocking three new protocols at once means extending previous restrictions and making some VPN applications inaccessible or unstable.
Experts interviewed by RBC confirmed the information about the expansion of the list of blocked technologies. They noted that the TSPU update is one of the regulator’s main tools for restricting access to prohibited resources and managing traffic at the level of telecom operators’ infrastructure.
