‘Cyber army’ formed in Estonia

2011-01-01

Helen Martin

Virus Bulletin, UK

Editor: Helen Martin

Abstract

Volunteer force of programmers, computer scientists and software engineers established.

The Estonian government has established a volunteer force of programmers, computer scientists and software engineers that in wartime would function as a ‘Cyber Defense League’ under a unified military command.

The force reportedly carries out regular weekend exercises in preparation for possible cyber contingencies.

In early 2007 Estonian government and national infrastructure sites were hit with several weeks’ worth of DDoS attacks which coincided with political unrest over Russia’s history in Estonia.

Estonia is one of the most wired countries in eastern Europe, relying on the Internet for a substantial portion of everyday life – 80% of Estonians reportedly using the Internet to pay taxes and conduct financial transactions. Indeed, in 2000, the Estonian government declared Internet access a basic human right. It was this wide scale dependence on the Internet that left the country particularly vulnerable to the large-scale cyber attack in 2007.

Although the defence league is currently made up of volunteers, Estonian Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo has hinted that conscription is not out of the question.

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