Tallinn, Estonia
Hackers have been paralyzing government and corporate Web sites across Estonia for the past three weeks. Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo said that about 1 million computers worldwide are being used to clog Estonian servers. “We identified in the initial attacks IP numbers from Russian government offices,” Aaviksoo said, suggesting that the Kremlin might be behind the crippling attacks. Russia promptly denied the charge. Russians were furious last month when Estonia, which suffered Soviet occupation for nearly 50 years, took down a statue honoring the Red Army’s triumph over the Nazis. Tiny Estonia is especially vulnerable to cyberwar, as it is one of the most thoroughly wired countries in Europe. It handles most of its government and banking services online.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 exclusive cartoons about Trump and Putin negotiating peaceCartoons Artists take on alternative timelines, missing participants, and more
-
The AI arms raceTalking Point The fixation on AI-powered economic growth risks drowning out concerns around the technology which have yet to be resolved
-
Why Jannik Sinner's ban has divided the tennis worldIn the Spotlight The timing of the suspension handed down to the world's best male tennis player has been met with scepticism
