Next-Gen Cyber Attack: Rats Cut Estonian e-Government From the Internet

Some vermin don’t seem very dangerous these days because people have managed to protect their food and homes from such intruders – but the pests are evolving too, and they apparently know how to interrupt modern communications, even to the point of cutting off the government from the people.

Rats have managed to cut off Estonian government agencies from the Internet, local newspaper Postimees reported on Wednesday.

According to the daily, the rodents gnawed on several cable lines, including a crucial optic fibre cord near the capital city of Tallinn, which led to the loss of Internet connection for government facilities in the middle of a busy working day.

Helmed just närisid NATO kaabli läbi. ebaõnn.

Rotid närisid riigivõrgu kaabli läbi, rivist väljas on https://t.co/oWJrKDc4Vz portaal ja mitmed olulised digiteenused https://t.co/r0d4xhr9Jx

— ahto lobjakas (@lobjakas) November 20, 2019

​​As a result, citizens could not use e-government services and were unable to buy prescribed medicines via the Internet. The connection, however, was restored a few hours later.