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Lithuania claims Russia regularly cyber-attacks its systems

Although it's generally accepted that all developed nations are constantly slinging digital warheads at each other – not to mention the bedroom hackers and hacktivists joining in for fun – it rarely feels too serious. In the case of Lithuania though, it's concerned about the barrage of Russian attacks it's taken over the past couple of years.

Located in Eastern Europe, not too far from Russia's own borders and an ex-soviet state, Lithuania is a tense position. It's seen Russia's push into the Ukraine over the past few years and it's support for pro-Russian separatist groups, and that acts as important context for what it sees as aggressive attacks on its digital infrastructure by Russian hackers.

The head of cyber-security in Lithuania told Reuters that over the past two years, three cases of Russian spyware have been discovered on government computers and that it has had to see off 20 different attacks during that same period.

Russia has denied these claims, with a spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin, claiming that they were laughable.

cyberlithuania

In cyber-warfare, attacks can come from anywhere in the world. Source: bykst/Pixabay

“We absolutely refute that nonsense,” they said, highlighting that Russia was under near constant attack from other nations, so felt that slinging mud about it was unwarranted. China has made similar statements in the past, when accused by the U.S. government of hacking its servers.

However Russian digital attacks are much more relevant today than they have been in the past. With much talk of interference in the U.S. election from foreign nations, many in Lithuania are concerned that Russia could do the same to interfere in its democratic process.

Germany has also reported a stark increase in Russian cyber-attacks in recent years, especially with regards to political parties and disinformation campaigns designed to destabilise and confuse the populace.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If we look at it purely academically, this is one of the most interesting aspects of potential future wars. A grand scale war now would absolutely include hackers on each side, as well as vigilantes also taking part in their own way. However in reality, it's a scary idea to imagine countries messing with each other's election processes, just to get a leg up.

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25 comments

  1. Now Kitguru joins the anti russian propaganda BS bandwagon? How stupid are you guys?

  2. It’s amazing isn’t it! When its a well doccumented fact that China is the king and all anyone has to is watch one of the global cyber treat maps availbale online for a couple of minutes to know this. Yet none of them mention China EVER!

    No matter what you think about Russia and it’s exploits you have to wonder and ask why is China never included in this conversation?

    Are our leaders so afraid of China they refuse to call them out? Or are our political and business leaders so vested in making money from cheap Chineese goods made in sweat shops they refuse to call them out?

    In my experience you always follow the monies comrade!

  3. mostly because russia has been doing stuff that governments actually care about. china just steals patented info about products so they can make cheap knock-offs. i imagine if china started invading japanese government computers we’d start hearing about it, i mean they always bring up when china starts pushing its claims on random pacific islands.

  4. NEWSFLASH The POTUS takes an oath of office to protect the US PEOPLE and COMPANIES
    from all enemies forign and domestic. So if what you said is true this means that Barack Hussein Obama is saying screw the US people and their companies. I don’t answer to them I only care about government.

    This would = a clearly impeachable offense by ignoring his oath of office and allowing a forign government to harm the US citizenry which the POTUS is supposed to be protecting as his number #1duty.

    I am flat out calling BS on that one nice try!

    Next I must ask are you honestly saying the Chineese do not attempt cyber attacks at US government computers? Do you actually believe this?

    I would accuse you of being a Hillary schill or paid Democrat Astro Turf but that much is obvious!

  5. I hate to rub it in but I got to add to this!

    You say the Chineese steal patented information and you are spot on. Information like plans for stealth aircraft and advanced weaponry system which miraculously show up in the Chineese arsenal years later looking identical to ours. Yes they are just like a knockoff iPhone only they can shoot down enemy planes from a hundred miles away, knock out communications, and even level small cities.

    Yes I am sure Barack Obama and th US government did it care that the Chineese had compromised IS systems and stolen plans for the Raptor our newest most advanced aircraft!

    Secondly examine your comment further you say they steal PATENTED information. Who do think is in charge of issuing patents and thus ensuring a patent is protected?

    If you said the US government you would be right!

  6. So I guess Barack Obama really should be impeached if he did not care about this story as you claim!

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3893126/amp/Chinese-J-20-stealth-jet-based-military-plans-stolen-hackers-makes-public-debut.html?client=safari

  7. I’m currently in Lithuania, and the one stupid is you. Kitguru are just reposting the news. And this is brand new event. This was on local news just couple of days ago. While it might be a slight over reaction, but it is still reaction.
    I don’t think there will be something similar as happened in Ukraine, but the fear is still there. And so done from outside of the country come in and start calling people stupid is beyond idiotic 😉

  8. True apart from the fact the raptor isn’t the newest of most advanced aircraft

  9. Christopher Lennon

    Out of curiosity, what is your motivation in giving Russia, a de facto authoritarian dictatorship, that recently invaded a sovereign nation, has stripped rights from its own citizens, and totally destroyed freedom of the press, the benefit of the doubt?

  10. Sorry I could have been more specific but tell me what’s a more advanced fighter jet than the F22?

    The F35 for example may have come out in 2006 vs 2005 for the F22 but they are both fifth generation. While the F22 is clearly technologically superior. It can cruise at Mach 1 and has a much faster top speed. The F22 is also far more deadly in terms of its targeting and kill capabilities.

    Which is not to say the F35 is not an amazing aircraft with many of its own advantages.

  11. You are beyond and idiot! He was talking about the BS Russian story in context of America and what it’s implications were from the perspective of an American.

    Everyone here in the USA understands the Russians can be aggressive, and authoritarian, while being among the most militarily powerful nation in earth just like the Chinese and ourselves.

    What most of us are sick of is the BS meaning the following. In the USA all of a sudden Russian hackers were made an a top issue during the 2016 election and it was clearly done as a political tool.

    We all know Russia has been hacking every major nation on earth for decades yet the BS “news story” of Russian Hackers always implied it was a new thing.

    More Proof of just how BS this sudden intrest Russian hackers can be found by watching the 2012 debate where Mitt Romney answered a question by saying Russia was our most dangerous threat.

    Barack Obama proceeded to mock him, make fun of him, and bitterly belittled him for saying this and told Mitt he was living in the “Cold War” .

    In 2014 it was reported by The NY Times that the Russian Cyber threat was a rising concern! Yet for two whole years we heard NOTHING about it.

    It only became an issue after Barack Obama and the Democrat media decided they could use it to help Hillary and now to attempt to blunt and indict the presidency of Donald Trump as illegitimate!

  12. Wisconsin was recounted, no evidence of hacking here. It would have been a prime target too, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania. There was no evidence of vote tampering from hacking. Some are trying to say that the wikileaks came from hacks and imply that this magically transfers to voting machines that aren’t connected to the internet. Maybe the headline should include the corruption and criminality that was uncovered by the leaks instead of deflecting with vague insinuations and preposterous accusations. So … how are those charges against Hilary going as long as we are talking about leaked evidence of criminality?

  13. What was he talking about? How can you direct that idea from his retarded two sentence statement? All it states is that this story is anti Russian propaganda BS. And what does mighty US has to do with this story here? You guys are playing cold war game, while people around Russia are actually experiencing all the b’s Russia is actually doing. I don’t give a flying fuck what American politician or other idiot is saying or doing. This story is about Lithuanian finding out they have been under hack attacks from Russia. While you mighty peace keepers are measuring your dicks, real things are happening. Fucking almighty all knowing retards across the world.

  14. The f35 didn’t come out in 2006 it has only entered service in the last year or so
    And they are totally different purpose aircraft one is land based the other is primarily for carrier use
    The f35 is more advanced but the f22 is a better aircraft but lacks the capability for carrier use

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  16. Russia denies. There is something to be said about that when it always appears in one sentence by the regime. Liar liar pants on fire or you wouldn’t even have to say anything at all if you were innocent the truth would speak for itself without saying a word.

  17. China’s boom is on the way out the door as we speak. The US is the largest customer of China and it’s leaving and moving manufacturing elsewhere.

  18. China steals. Russia denies. N Korea is crazy. Iran is just all three. That’s the reputation they have around the world. Ironically they are all “friends”. LOL

  19. WOW. And you call yourself American. The rest of us Americans would call you a traitor and would want you stripped of citizenship and deported to Russia. Say hi to Eddie for us. Your comrade patriot to making America great again. The issue wasn’t an issue of the election results that Trump’s team consistently deflects on. The issue isn’t that he wasn’t elected either. He is and will be President. What part of your marshmellow brain does not understand a foreign country hacked a political opponent? You are foul disgrace to the country and whether you have citizenship or not you won’t be viewed as a citizen or American or even treated like one from your fellow citizens at all. You are a disgrace. Trump is the electoral president of the US not the popular vote president. If this would have happened to a RNC candidate you can be rest assured there would be calls for nuclear strikes. That’s because your a hippocrit like all RNC dumbtards. You are not believable, inconsistent, don’t base anything on facts, and are so narrow in mind it’s why a majority of the world and universe know full well when the RNC is in charge what’s coming. Another IRAQ war. You can count on that.

  20. Go join Eddie. Your comment is too stupid to even try to explain the issue. What part of a foreign entity hacked the headquarters at the DNC do you not get? That DID happen. If it’s all ok then have the TRUMP campaign release all of theirs by an “independant” party. Maybe someone should pay China to hack Trump. Let’s see how that turns out…I bet you’d call me a traitor for saying that too. But yet, since it happened to the DNC your ok with that I bet. Please for god sakes go get on a ship leave America don’t come back.

  21. Where did WikiLeaks say the dnc hack came from? Not Russia. Is there any evidence to the contrary? Did any democrats change republican over the dnc hack? It was the endless drip of Hilary corruption and her utter lack of message that handed her the loss.
    My comment was dealing with the insinuations of relevance all of these Russian hacking stories have by saying the election was hacked. Not whether podesta fell for some phishing email. Try to keep up.

  22. You missed his first line on how china is the king of hacking dude.

  23. “Try to keep up.”

    You’ve already let up the gas and driven off the road and are stuck in the ditch with obsessive compulsive images of licking Hillary’s picture like a mad man missing all the points!!!

    You are already out of your league and are still stuck on the Hillary points. That is no longer the issue anymore – NEWS FLASH. She lost. Which one can conclude you It’s not even a republican and democrat issue and you missed that point entirely. The evidence is already wide spread that the DNC office was hacked idiot. How else do you think emails got out from that office??? They just gladly handed them over and said heh have our emails wikilaks??? They did it to set RUSSIA up at the cost of the election? LOL. You are one shot short of a margarita if you can’t put that one together EVEN WITHOUT EVIDENCE And they obviously got it or BOTH parties sitting in congress wouldn’t be pursuing it right now TOGETHER. They call that comprehension but me thinks you are really a RUSKIE dolt that is spamming on the bulletin boards. It’s kind of easy to spot that. Either that are you are truly stupid.

  24. 1. WikiLeaks said not Russians
    2. dnc not gov
    3. dnc not gov
    4. podesta got phished – you know those “some hot chick is hot” “or free male enhancement” emails. Was told to change his password from p@ssw0rd, and didn’t.
    AND podestas emails didn’t really hurt Hilary, hilarys server,foundation,screw ups, lack of message and the fbi did, so no effect, hence no cause, no influence of hacking, election wasn’t hacked.
    sober up

  25. Nice try comrade. Busted. Nice try lay off the vodka….