Price of cyberattacks to Hansabank: 10 million euros
08.12.2010, 12:49Documents of the US embassy in Tallinn on the impact of cyber attacks made against Estonia in 2007 show that they were estimated to have cost Estonia's largest bank Hansabank at least 10 million euros.
According to a memo of US ambassador Phillips dated May 3, 2007 that was recently made public by Wikileaks, the impact of the cyber attack to SEB and Estonian media channels such as Postimees and Eesti Päevaleht daily newspapers was also considerable.
Imagine the psychological impact when Estonians who live in one of the world's most wired country suddenly cannot use online banking services or cannot access online news, says the memo.
A source in the memo also said that the economic impact of cyber attacks would have been greater if the second wave attacks had been made against poorly defended strategic targets such as Estonian logistics firms.
"75% of all food stores, petrol stations and retailers depend from the Internet in their order and supply system," said the source. "Can you imagine the damages? Cyber attacks are abstract for many, but there is nothing abstract if the store's shelves are empty," said the source.