Estonia Blames Russia For Cyberattacks

Baltic State Is Crying Foul Over Crashed Government Servers

(AP)  Estonia's defense minister Jaak Aaviksoo said Thursday there is a possibility that the Russian government was involved in cyberattacks against Estonian Web sites.

"We identified in the initial attacks IP numbers from the Russian governmental offices," Aaviksoo told The Associated Press by telephone. "There is not sufficient evidence of a governmental role, but it indicates a possibility."

He said more than 1 million computers worldwide have been used in recent weeks to attack Estonian Web sites since the removal of a disputed Soviet statue from downtown Tallinn.

When Estonia first pointed the finger at Russia on May 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations, saying the attackers must have used a fake Kremlin IP address to tarnish Russian authorities.

Aaviksoo said the attacks were massive and well-organized, targeting the government offices and a number of corporations including the six major banks in the Baltic country.

"They started after we discovered instructions on Russian Web sites telling when, why and what to attack," he added.

Aavikso said he had informed his colleagues in the European Union earlier this week about the situation and was confident the issue would be raised at an EU-Russia summit Friday in Samara.

"I'm sure this issue will be one of the talking points," the defense minister said. "I felt strong support from my partners."

The so-called denial-of-service attacks against Estonian Web sites started after the April 27 removal of the Bronze Soldier, which commemorates Red Army soldiers killed fighting the Nazis, but which many Estonians consider a bitter reminder of five decades of Soviet occupation.

The statue was removed from a downtown square and placed in a cemetery outside Tallinn, infuriating Moscow and Estonia's ethnic Russians, who said the move was an insult to the memory of the fallen soldiers.

[jp1402]

You just admitted that you said: "I for one am not in any way interested in any part of the Russian failed-state."
Interested is a verb. Interest is a noun. You must think everyone is a "moron" to believe that when you say "interested" you mean something financial or something to do with corporatocracy.
As for personal interest, that was my point. If you had no "personal" interest, why say on your very first post in this matter, "We ignore the threat at our own peril." If you are not part of "we" why are you posting in the first place?
Again, your sarong is showing.
As for my views on this matter, make some sort of coherent point to respond to and I'd think about it. To do that, I think, is not your agenda.

[jp1402]

I have a problem with DefndLiberty's statements.
He says in his 11:05 pm, may 17 post: "I for one am not in any way interested in any part of the Russian failed-state."
Yet in his very first post at 3:11 pm, may 17, he says "Russia continues to be a dangerous country... We ignore the threat at our own peril."
So which is it, disinterest or fearful interest? Make an argument instead of getting into personal mudslinging. People who are interested in this do read the posts, you know.
Additionally, you say "We know what you are." Just who is "We"???? Isn't that the point of blog/debate, to get people to make informed conclusions and not resort to prejudgments such as "We"?
Your sarong is showing.

[jp1402]

I have a problem with DefndLiberty's statements.
He says in his 11:05 pm, may 17 post: "I for one am not in any way interested in any part of the Russian failed-state."
Yet in his very first post at 3:11 pm, may 17, he says "Russia continues to be a dangerous country... We ignore the threat at our own peril."
So which is it, disinterest or fearful interest? Make an argument instead of getting into personal mudslinging. People who are interested in this do read the posts, you know.
Additionally, you say "We know what you are." Just who is "We"???? Isn't that the point of blog/debate, to get people to make informed conclusions and not resort to prejudgments such as "We"?
Your sarong is showing.

[incog-nito]

This calls for a massive countercyberattack, followed by a cyberinvasion, then a cyberoccupation.