Angel Eyes (The Jeff Healey Band song) and 2007 cyberattacks on Estonia: Difference between pages
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'''Cyberattacks on Estonia''' (a.k.a Estonian Cyberwar) refers to a series of cyber attacks that began [[April 27]], [[2007]] that swamped [[Estonia|Estonian]] websites of [[Riigikogu|Estonian parliament]], banks, ministries, newspapers and broadcasters, amid that country's row with [[Russia]] about moving a Soviet-era war memorial.
<ref>Ian Traynor, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2081438,00.html 'Russia accused of unleashing cyberwar to disable Estonia"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[May 17]], [[2007]]</ref>
By nature attacks that had any influence on general public were generally [[DDoS|distributed denial of service]] attacks ranging from single individuals using various low-tech methods like ping floods to expensive rentals of [[botnet]]s usually used for spam distribution. Spamming of bigger news portals commentaries and defacement and posting of a fake press release of the ruling Reform parties website also occurred.
The case is studied intensively by many countries and military planners as, at the time it occurred, it may have been the second-largest instance of state-sponsored [[cyberwarfare]], following [[Titan Rain]].<ref name="economist"> Cyberwarfare:[http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_JNNRSVS 'Newly nasty], May 24th 2007, [[The Economist]]</ref>
Some observers reckoned that the onslaught on Estonia was of a sophistication not seen before<ref name="economist"/>. [[Linnar Viik]], Estonia's internet guru, said “Particular 'ports' of particular mission-critical computers in, for example, the telephone exchanges were targeted. Packet 'bombs' of hundreds of [[megabytes]] in size would be sent first to one address, then another.” Although the [[hackers]] behind the cyberwarfare haven't been unveiled, some believed that such efforts exceed the skills of individual activists or even [[organised crime]]; they require the [[co-operation]] of a state and a large [[telecoms]] firm.<ref name="economist"/>
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On [[May 2]], [[2007]], a criminal investigation was opened into the attacks under a section of the Estonian Penal Code criminalising ''computer sabotage'' and ''interference with the working of a computer network'', [[felony|felonies]] punishable by imprisonment of up to three years. As a number of attackers turned out to be within the jurisdiction of the [[Russian Federation]], on [[May 10]], [[2007]], Estonian State Procurature made a formal investigation assistance request to the Russian Federation's Supreme Procurature under a [[MLAT]] existing between Estonia and Russia. On [[June 28]], Russian Supreme Procurature refused assistance.<ref>Postimees [[July 6]], [[2007]]: [http://postimees.ee/060707/esileht/siseuudised/270899.php Venemaa jätab Eesti küberrünnakute uurimisel õigusabita]</ref> Interestingly, a Russian [[State Duma]] delegation visiting Estonia in early May in regards the situation surrounding the [[Bronze Soldier of Tallinn]] had promised that Russia would aid such investigation in every way available.
=== Taking responsibility for the attacks ===
Commissar of pro-Kremlin youth movement [[Nashi]] in [[Moldova]] and [[Transnistria]], Konstantin Goloskokov (Goloskov in some sources<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/reports/FullReport.aspx?report=574&id=2007/05/574-07-09 Monument dispute with Estonia gets dirty]</ref>), admitted organizing cyberattacks against Estonian government sites<ref name="sbcc">[http://www.sbcc-chamber.com/index.php?lng=en&page_id=60&news_id=888 Commissar of Nashi says he waged cyber attack on Estonian government sites]</ref>. Goloskokov stressed, however, that he was not carrying out an order from Nashi's leadership and said that a lot of his fellow Nashi members criticized his responce as being too harsh<ref name="hranitel"/>.
Notably, Estonia does not recognise [[Transnistria]], nor is Transnistria a member of [[Interpol]], so no [[MLAT]] applies. If, indeed, residents of Transnistria were responsible, the investigation may be severely hampered, and even if the investigation succeeds finding likely suspects, the legal recourse of Estonian authorities may be limited to issuing all-EU arrest orders for these suspects. Such an act would be largely symbolic.
=== Opinions of experts in network security ===
Claims of Estonian government officials regarding involvement of Russian government in cyber attacks <ref name="londontimes">Times Online: [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1802959.ece Urmas Paet, the Estonian Foreign Minister, accused the Kremlin of direct involvement]</ref> had been called "hollow" by
a well-known Russian hacker [[Sp0Raw]] <ref name="hranitel" />
According to Mike Witt, deputy director of the [[United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team]], ''the attacks were crude so-called distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks, utilizing global networks, or botnets, of compromised computers, known as slaves, or zombies, often owned by careless individuals, "including some in the United States."''
''The size of the cyber attack, while it was certainly significant to the Estonian government, from a technical standpoint is not something we would consider significant in scale,'' said Witt, adding he believed the United States would be able to defend itself easily against attacks on a similar scale. <ref name="UPI">United Press International: [http://www.upi.com/Security_Terrorism/Analysis/2007/06/11/analysis_who_cyber_smacked_estonia/2683/print_view/ Analysis: Who cyber smacked Estonia?]</ref>
''We don't have directly visible info about sources so we can't confirm or deny that the attacks are coming from the Russian government,'' [[Jose Nazario]], software and security engineer at [[Arbor Networks]], told [[internetnews.com]]. <ref name="internetnews">Internetnews.com: [http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3678606 Estonia Under Russian Cyber Attack?]</ref>
Well-known Russian hacker [[Sp0Raw]] is of opinion that the most efficient online attacks on Estonia could not have been carried out without the blessing of the Russian authorities and that the hackers apparently acted under "recommendations" from parties in higher positions <ref name="sbcc"/> <ref name="hranitel">[http://www.psj.ru/text/200705281407.htm Электронная бомба. Кто стоит за кибервойной России с Эстонией]</ref>. In the same statement he called Estonian accusations of Russia's direct involvement "hollow words, not proven by technical data" <ref name="hranitel"/>.
Professor [[James Hendler]], former chief scientist at the [[Pentagon]]'s [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency]], described the attacks as ''"more like a cyber riot than a military attack."''
==References==
<references />
==See also==
{{wikinews|Cyber attacks in Estonia threaten national security}}
* [[Bronze Soldier of Tallinn]]
<!-- Just collecting sources here atm --DLX -->
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/Technology/Estonia-urges-firm-EU-NATO-response-to-new-form-of-warfarecyberattacks/2007/05/16/1178995207414.html Estonia urges firm EU, NATO response to new form of warfare: cyber-attacks]
* [http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070514-massive-ddos-attacks-target-estonia-russia-accused.html Massive DDoS attacks target Estonia; Russia accused]
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/18/news/estonia.php Cyberattack on Estonia stirs fear of 'virtual war']
* [http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0517/p99s01-duts.html Estonia accuses Russia of 'cyberattack']
* [http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Virtual+harassment+but+for+real+/1135227099868 Virtual harassment, but for real]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/technology/29estonia.html Digital Fears Emerge After Data Siege in Estonia]
* [http://www.eubusiness.com/news_live/1179860401.63 EU urged to deepen cooperation after Estonia cyber-attacks]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6665195.stm The cyber pirates hitting Estonia]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6665145.stm Estonia hit by 'Moscow cyber war']
[[pl:Rosyjsko-estońska wojna cybernetyczna]]
[[zh:2007年愛沙尼亞網絡戰]]
[[Category:History of Estonia]]
[[Category:Cyberattacks]]
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