Fergie's Tech Blog

Estonian Cyber Attacks: Lessons Learned, A Year Later

Tom Espiner writes on ZDNet UK:

The idea that attacks on computer systems could provide an alternative method of spreading terror and disruption has been a concern for governments since IT systems began to proliferate.

But it wasn't until Estonia suffered a series of concerted attacks in April 2007 that theory became reality. The movement of the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet-era war memorial commemorating an unknown Russian who died fighting the Nazis, from a square in the capital Tallinn to a military cemetery, has been traced as the main flashpoint for the attacks.

Protests and riots involving ethnic Russians living in the country were the immediate result, but what no-one foresaw was the subsequent series of attacks aimed at computer systems managing the country's critical national infrastructure.

More here.

Note: I also noted over on the Trend Micro Malware Blog that "Hacktivism" incidents are becoming more frequent, and much more malicious. -ferg

posted by Fergie @ 5/01/2008 11:01:00 PM