NATO countries invest in protection against cyber attacks

Estonia and six other NATO countries have signed a treaty to finance a new research center against cybercrime. The countries will also provide computer specialists.

The research center, located in the Estonian capital Tallinn, is expected to be operational in August, but will not be officially opened until 2009. The center will house thirty computer specialists who will be engaged in cyber warfare research and training. However, the center can also be used to assist NATO member states if they are confronted with cyber-attacks. In addition to Estonia, the neighboring countries – also NATO member states – Latvia and Lithuania also have the treaty signed, as well as Germany, Italy, Spain and Slovakia. The United States will have an observing role in the project.

Estonia was hit a year ago by a three-week DDoS attack on government websites, banks and newspapers. The attack followed a decision to move a Russian war memorial and the remains of thirteen World War II Russian soldiers in Tallinn. Estonians pointed an accusing finger at Russia, but Moscow denied having anything to do with the matter. According to researchers, the bot network that carried out the ddos ​​attack consisted of about 1 million computers.