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 © 2026 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

XBIZ 2027 Hotel Room Booking Now Open

Hotel booking is now open for XBIZ 2027, giving attendees the opportunity to secure their stay at the host venue, JW Marriott L.A. Live.

FSC Case Against Tennessee AV Law Can Go Forward, Court Rules

A U.S. district court on Tuesday denied the Tennessee attorney general’s motion to dismiss a Free Speech Coalition lawsuit challenging the Protect Tennessee Minors Act as unconstitutional.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for July, August

AEBN has published the top search terms for July and August from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

2027 XMA 'Fan Favorite' Pre-Nominations Period Now Open

XMA event organizers have announced that the pre-nomination period for Fan Favorite categories for the January 2027 ceremony is now open.

California Legislature Passes Stricter UGC Rules for Adult Sites

A bill to impose tighter compliance standards for user-generated content (UGC) on adult websites has been approved by the California state legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature.

CollabGPS Rolls Out 'Verification Badge' Update

CollabGPS has launched a badge system for user verification.

X3 Amsterdam Imports Hollywood Glitz With Continental Style

A throng of fans from across Europe and around the globe descended on the Passenger Terminal building on Friday, eager to meet their favorite adult stars at the inaugural X3 Amsterdam fan expo.

California, Florida Reps File Latest Bill to Repeal Section 230

Two members of Congress on Thursday introduced new legislation to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects interactive computer services — including adult platforms — from liability for user-generated content.

Admaze Introduces Flat-Rate Media Buying for Publishers, Advertisers

Adult ad network and agency Admaze has introduced a flat-rate media buying model for publishers and advertisers.

Centro Launches Lifetime Revenue Share Affiliate Program 'CentroPulse'

Centro has launched CentroPulse, its new lifetime revenue share affiliate program for performance marketers, adult traffic affiliates, established webmasters, and sub-affiliate network operators.

Show More