Media: Russian Foreign Intelligence Service is preparing to inject information into social networks

· Moscow, Russia, Contemporary Persecution, Security Services

August 27, 2012
RTVi
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has announced three closed tenders worth over 30 million rubles to develop “new methods for monitoring the blogosphere, disseminating messages on social networks in order to shape public opinion,” reports the newspaper Kommersant on Monday.

“The research tenders with the code names ‘Storm-12,’ ‘Monitor-3,’ and ‘Disput’ were held in January–February 2012. The state customer — Federal State Institution ‘Military Unit No. 54939’ — requested the development of programs for ‘researching methods of intelligence gathering on internet centers and regional segments of social networks’ (code ‘Disput’) worth 4.41 million rubles, ‘researching methods of covert manipulation on the internet’ (code ‘Monitor-3’) worth 4.99 million rubles, and conducting research and development work on ‘means of promoting special information on social networks’ (code ‘Storm-12’) worth 22.8 million rubles,” the newspaper reports.

It is planned that the “Disput” system will first monitor the blogosphere. Then the obtained information will be analyzed by the “Monitor-3” system. Based on the data obtained, the “Storm-12” system will begin planting the necessary information on social networks. The documents specify that the aim of this virtual army will be “mass dissemination of information messages in specified social networks using existing user accounts in order to shape public opinion,” “collection of statistics and analysis of the effectiveness of spreading an information wave,” “analysis of the suitability of the most popular social network services for initiating information waves of various thematic, social and other orientations.”

Sources of the newspaper in the special services claim that Military Unit No. 54939 is part of the SVR system. The intelligence agency did not respond to journalists’ inquiries on this topic.

Interlocutors of the newspaper in Russian special services do not rule out that after the SVR gets the “Storm-12,” “Monitor-3” and “Disput” programs at its disposal, they may be used to influence both external and internal audiences.

Although the practice of transferring technologies between the SVR and the FSB is not usually used, as it increases the risk of information leakage, if such a need arises, the resource can be used for the needs of both agencies; no governmental acts are required for this, the matter is resolved at the level of the leadership of the two agencies.

The newspaper reports that the direct contractor for all three competitions was the company Iteranet, whose general director — Igor Matskevich — in the past was the first deputy head of the Institute of Cryptography, Communications and Informatics of the FSB Academy.

After the publication appeared in Kommersant, Igor Matskevich told RIA Novosti that the company Iteranet does not engage in research and development of software systems for monitoring social networks and means of promoting information in the blogosphere, but he refused to provide further details.

According to the agency, Iteranet is a system and service integrator in the field of communications and computer technology, founded in 1999 on the basis of the IT divisions of the Itera group of companies. Among Iteranet’s services are auditing of information systems and company resources, development, implementation and maintenance of information systems, ensuring information security of companies, communication services and infrastructure work. Among Iteranet’s clients are government agencies, the operator Rostelecom, Russian Railways, McDonald’s and a number of other large companies.

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