Against the backdrop of protests linked to the Belarus presidential election, residents were cut off from the internet for several days. The authorities blamed it on DDoS attacks and interference from abroad, but experts are confident that the switch was pulled by state-owned providers — Beltelecom and НЦОТ.
ForkLog journal spoke to experts about how to bypass blocks and protect the basic right to access the internet.
- When it comes to blocking specific sites or apps, the most popular ways to bypass are VPNs, Tor, and proxies.
- Choosing a VPN service requires caution, especially if it is free, according to experts.
- In the case of a full internet shutdown, as happened in Belarus, virtually all known methods of circumventing blocks will prove useless.
First, it is necessary to distinguish between restrictions on access to websites, specific protocols, applications, and a full internet shutdown, says Roskomsvoboda’s technical director Stanislav Shakirov.
In the first case, bypassing the blocks is possible. The most obvious and simple method is using VPN services.
«Using a VPN is generally recommended at all times, as it makes it harder to monitor you,» said Mikhail Klimariev, executive director of the Internet Protection Society.
Kozlyuk advised paying attention to paid VPN solutions. He said they \\“can guarantee a wide channel without glitches, no restrictions and many servers around the world\\”.
However, as the Belarus situation showed, standard VPN services can also be blocked.
More advanced tools for bypassing blocks are services like Lantern, NewNode and Psiphon, which has become popular in recent days among Belarusians.
«These are distributed VPNs; they have many servers across the world. When connecting, they mask their traffic as allowed. Such services are harder to block because they constantly change transmission protocols — the protocol mimics and DPI equipment finds it very hard to catch them,» says Mikhail Klimariev.
Before the Belarus events, such services were known mainly to public activists; however, they were virtually unknown to the wider public, noted Artem Kozlyuk.
According to independent expert Alexander Isavnin, these services are in demand in countries where VPNs are banned at the protocol level.
Another way to bypass blocks is Tor.
In Belarus, the use of Tor bridges surged amid the shutdown.
«Tor bridges are distributed VPNs; they have many servers worldwide. When connected, they mask their traffic as permitted. Such services are harder to block because they constantly change transmission protocols — the protocol mimics and DPI equipment finds it very hard to catch them,» says Mikhail Klimariev.
Earlier, such services were known mainly to public activists; the wider public knew little about them, noted Artem Kozlyuk.
According to independent expert Alexander Isavnin, these services are in demand in countries where VPNs are banned at the protocol level.
Another way to bypass blocks is Tor.
In Belarus, the use of Tor bridges surged amid the shutdown.
Also for bypassing blocks, proxy services are popular. However, using them is not recommended, Klimariev stated:
«Proxies do not operate in a vacuum — they monitor your traffic and can be used to carry out attacks (man-in-the-middle). They monitor your traffic and can, for example, steal login credentials.»
Isavnin added that it is crucial to monitor legislation and technologies in one’s country. In particular — internet initiatives:
«In Belarus, for specialists it was obvious that there was a deliberate monopoly and possible mass disconnection. The broader public simply forgot that this could happen.»
If tracking such changes and understanding new technologies is difficult for you, “keep someone who can do it as a friend,” Isavnin added.
Philipp Kulin, IT expert, agrees:
«In fact, the best way is to find someone who already bypasses the blocks and do as they do.»
However, all of the above methods may prove useless if the internet is completely shut down. That is exactly what happened in Belarus, according to experts.
«In the event of a total internet block, as on the first day of Belarusian protests when the main trunk lines were cut, nothing will help. Simply because no traffic moves,» explained Stanislav Shakirov, technical director of Roskomsvoboda.
But there is good news — today it is unlikely that any country can completely shield itself from the external network for a long time. That would entail colossal economic losses, noted Artem Kozlyuk.
Indeed, losses for a single day of internet shutdown in Belarus were estimated at $56 million.
«The best way to bypass blocks is not to let those who want to block anything on the internet take power. But if it has already happened, stay vigilant about the legislation and be prepared for anything,» Isavnin concluded.
Author: Alina Saganskaya.
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