Posts Tagged tallin

Cyberwar in Estonia and the Middle East

Did a member of your family help launch a cyber attack that brought an entire nation to its knees? No, seriously, don’t laugh. In April 2007, communications in the Baltic state of Estonia were crippled through a coordinated attack that relied on the computers of millions of innocent users around the world, just like you and your kin. The strike was notable in fully demonstrating how cyber war had moved from idea to reality. And it all started with the movements of a single soldier.

The Bronze Soldier is a two-meter statue which formerly stood in a small square in Tallinn, the Estonian capital, above the burial site of Soviet soldiers lost in the Second World War. The memorial has long divided the population of the country, with native Estonians considering it a symbol of Soviet (and formerly Nazi) occupation and a large minority population (around 25% of the total) of ethnic Russian immigrants seeing it as an emblem of Soviet victory over the Nazis and Russian claims over Estonia. When the country’s newly appointed Ansip government initiated plans to relocate the statue and the remains as part of a 2007 electoral mandate, the move sparked the worst riots the country had ever seen – and a startling cyber attack from Russia.

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Pre-paid SIM Cards for Estonia

Amongst the Baltic States, Estonia is the smallest country with a population of 1.7 million. Tallinn is the capital of the country and is a small city having about half a million inhabitants. The city of the Danes, as the word Tallinn means, tells the story if the country’s history. At present, Tallinn is full of people of many nationalities and this old Hansa city is surrounded by a 2.5 kilometers of stone wall, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Tallinn offers its visitors with many museums, small restaurants and galleries displaying new Estonian Art. The town is known for its international yachting events of the 1980 Olympic Games. The National Singing Stadium, on the outskirts of the city, holds world renowned song festivals, which is one of the attractions for the tourists in Estonia.

Estonia is a low lying country with forests, lakes and many rivers, most of which are draining into the Gulf of Finland to the north or eastward into Lake Peipus, its largest lake. Being separated by the narrow Gulf of Finland with Finland, it has strong cultural and linguistic ties with the country. When you visit Estonia, you will see the old soviet army barracks of the yester years, which was once off-limits even to the Estonian themselves. You will also find the modern Estonia, which is presently a member of the European Union, where 67% of its citizens voted in favour of joining the Union.

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