Russia throws up ‘digital Iron Curtain’ to ward off hacking attacks in escalating ‘cyber war’ with US
Computer defence system revealed amid reports the CIA is planning 'revenge' attacks after Kremlin-backed hackers were accused of interfering with the US presidential election
RUSSIA's defence ministry has thrown up a "digital Iron Curtain" to shield it from feared cyber attacks from the US.
The sophisticated computer defence system was revealed amid reports the CIA is planning "revenge" attacks after Kremlin-backed hackers were accused of interfering with the US presidential election.
Russia’s state-owned United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation has developed the system to protect the Russian Defence Ministry from hacking attacks over the past two years.
The system has been tested and will soon be upgraded and expanded to defence sites all over Russia, the company told the Tass news agency.
A spokesman said: "The system’s test procedures lasted for more than two years. Within this period of time, it was significantly modified and strengthened.
"Currently, the systems database has tens of thousands of malicious traffic patterns and is replenished all the time.
"Thanks to this, the system discerns the threat instantly and informs the operator about it."
The hardware and software system is capable of detecting cyber attacks in real time, assessing their level and seriousness, and deploys necessary countermeasures.
It can also determine the origin of the attack, the company says.
The system’s elements have been installed at more than 500 defence facilities, including Russia’s National Defence Control Centre
Work is currently underway to include mobile communication centres, including aboard aircraft, the UIMC said.
Last week American vigilante hacker called Jester took over a Russian government website in retaliation for cyber attacks in the US.
He gained access to the foreign ministry's public website and displayed the message: "Comrades! We interrupt regular scheduled Russian Foreign Affairs Website programming to bring you the following important message.
"Knock it off. You may be able to push around nations around you, but this is America. Nobody is impressed."
US officials have formally accused Russia of hacking the Democratic party's computer network and said the Kremlin was trying to "interfere" with the election.
Leaked emails embarrassed Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton and were seen as a sign Vladimir Putin is backing Donald Trump.
In response, Barack Obama's administration said to have asked the CIA to draw up plans for "cyber covert action" designed to embarrass the Kremlin leadership, intelligence sources told NBC News
Vice-President Joe Biden also hinted a retaliatory attack is planned to "send a message" to Russia - prompting the Kremlin to blast the “unpredictability and aggression of the United States”.
Putin's spokesman dismissed claims he ordered cyber attacks as "rubbish", insisting: “Every day Putin’s website gets attacked by several tens of thousand of hackers.
"A lot of these attacks are traced to the territory of the USA, but we do not blame the White House or (CIA HQ) Langley each time.”
Last week a Russian hacker suspected of attacks in the US was arrested in Prague.
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