According to media speculation in Washington, the Pentagon's computer systems suffered a large-scale cyber attack. Some media sources reported that Russia, which was accused of similar attacks on Estonia in 2007 and more recently on Georgia, was one of the countries suspected of being involved.
The Los Angeles Times cited a U.S. defense source as saying "This one was significant, this one got our attention."
However, Russia's Foreign Ministry dismissed the reports in a statement saying, "Speculation about Russia's involvement in cyber attacks on Estonian and Georgian networks has been considered. In conditions of global computerization and the growing threat of the use of IT and telecom technology for unfriendly purposes, such informational leaks are not only groundless, but also irresponsible."
The ministry urged action to prevent a new arms race "on a brand new technological level," adding, "The provision of international IT security could be a promising direction for partner dialogue with the United States."
The unprecedented electronic attack on the Pentagon came in the form of a virus on November 20, which U.S. defense officials said had affected central computers covering operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The extent of the damage has not been disclosed.
The U.K. newspaper the Daily Telegraph said on Monday "the Pentagon and other U.S. government departments face repeated cyber attacks, especially from Russia and China, either from individuals or indirectly from those countries' governments."
