Estonia braced for new cyber attacks

LONDON -- British newspaper The Guardian reported April 7 that Estonia is bracing itselffor a repeat of the 'cyber attacks' which targeted the country last year in thewake of the bronze soldier riots.

Last April hackers bombarded the Estonia's hi-tech computer systems after thecontroversial decision to move a Soviet war memorial. The attacks targetedgovernment websites and public services but their effects were mitigated by acoordinated response at the Estonian end.

According to The Guardian, senior officials are preparingfor hackers to try their luck again this year.

One official is quoted saying there have been smaller attempts to hack intogovernment systems during the last 12 months but they were easily repelled.

A 20-year-old Estonian, Dmitri Galushkevich, has been arrestedin relation to those attacks, but Estonia has claimed that the strikesoriginated largely from Russia. The Russian government has consistently deniedany role in organizing cyber attacks on Estonia.