Estonia Blames Russia for Cyber Attacks

TALLINN, Estonia — Estonian websites have been under heavy attack for the last three weeks, and authorities are blaming Russia for playing a part in the cyber warfare.

The Estonian government has said that its state and commercial websites, including a number of banks, are being bombarded by mass requests for information which are overwhelming their computer servers. Other targets of the "denial-of-service attacks" have included the Estonian foreign and defense ministries and leading newspapers and banks.

Officials have cut access to some servers from outside Estonia to prevent them from being attacked.

Estonian authorities said the attacks began after a Soviet war memorial in Tallinn was removed, an action that was condemned by the Kremlin.

Many of the attacks have come from Russia and are being hosted by Russian state computer servers, according to Tallinn officials. Moscow has denied any involvement.

A NATO spokesman said the organization was giving Estonia technical help.

"In the 21st century it's not just about tanks and artillery," NATO spokesman James Appathurai told BBC News. "We have sent one of our experts at the request of the Estonian authorities to help them in their defense."

Mikhail Tammet, head of IT security at Estonia's defense ministry, told the BBC that the attacks had affected a range of government websites, including those of the parliament and governmental institutions. He said Estonia was particularly vulnerable as much of its government is run online.

"Estonia depends largely on the Internet. We have e-government; government is so-called paperless ... all the bank services are on the Internet. We even elect our parliament via the Internet," Mr Tammet said.

"In the past few weeks it has been quite difficult for some government officials to read their emails on the web and to get access to the banks."

The Estonian defense ministry said that the cyber attacks have come from all over the world, but some have been hosted by Russian state servers, and that instructions on how to carry out cyber warfare are circulating on Russian websites.

Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has directly accused Russia of being responsible, pointing the blame at the Russian government. Internet experts from NATO and the European Union are helping to track down the culprits, but Estonian officials said that they have had no cooperation from Russia.

Russia — which has a large community of hackers and computer virus-writers — has been accused of mounting such attacks before in the U.S. and Ukraine. Moscow denies any involvement in the Internet attacks on Estonia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC that the allegations were "completely untrue."

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

TeamSkeet, MYLF to Launch New Website FamilyStrokes.com

Sister studios TeamSkeet and MYLF are launching a new website, FamilyStrokes.com.

AV Bulletin: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Segpay Names Kristi Greer VP of Sales

Segpay has promoted long-time employee Kristi Greer to the position of vice president of sales.

BranditScan Names Subgirl Newest Brand Ambassador

BranditScan has named content creator Subgirl its newest brand ambassador.

Arcom Reports Age Verification Enforcement Actions Against 5 Adult Sites

French media regulator Arcom released a statement Tuesday detailing recent actions to enforce age verification rules as set forth under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Pineapple Support, Clips4Sale to Host Performers' Partners Support Group

Pineapple Support and Clips4Sale are hosting a free online support group for partners and family members of adult industry professionals.

FSC Mourns the Loss of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes

Free Speech Coalition has released a statement regarding the passing of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes.

Alexa Creed Launches New Paysite

Creator Alexa Creed has launched a new membership site through MyMember.site.

Choice Talent Management Launches Fan Platform 'ChoiceFilmz'

Choice Talent Management CEO Chris Crisco has launched a new fan platform called ChoiceFilmz.

Dredd to Launch Official Site

Dredd has announced his new website OfficialDreddXXX.com, launching April 20.

Show More