Sabotage of an Electricity Cable Between Finland and Estonia

Although we are mostly using wireless connections today, we are still highly reliant on physical environments in order to communicate with each other.

What I am trying to point out is that most of our heavy internet traffic travels over fiber cables buried under the ground and under the seas or oceans. It is not only about the IP network, it is about the availability of electricity. If there is no electricity, then there is also no internet. (Layer 1 availability is much more important than most people are aware of.)

An electricity cable between Finland and Estonia was sabotaged last week (25 Dec 2024), causing the operator of Finland's national grid (Estlink 2) to remain out of service. (The alleged perpetrators are members of the shadow fleet of Russia.)

The damaged cable had a transmission capacity of 650 megawatts and is 170km long (105 miles). Repairs are expected to take "several months." (Yes, critical infrastructure security is a major concern.)

Finnish police are investigating whether a Russian ship was involved in the sabotage.

https://bbc.in/4fHcFSh

"The authorities said on Thursday that they believe the anchor of the Eagle S, a tanker registered with the Cook Islands, may have damaged the Estlink 2 cable, which became disconnected on Wednesday (25 Dec 2024).

The vessel is thought to be part of Russia's 'shadow fleet', which is made up of ships that carry embargoed Russian oil products.

It is the latest in a series of incidents in recent years, in which underwater cables in the Baltic region have been either damaged or severed completely."

"The EU has threatened to impose further sanctions against Russia as a result of the incident and said it was 'strengthening efforts to protect undersea cables'.

'We strongly condemn any deliberate destruction of Europe's critical infrastructure,' the European Commission and the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said in a joint statement."

"A telecommunications cable running between Finland and Germany was severed in November (2024), and an internet link between Lithuania and Sweden's Gotland Island stopped working at around the same time."

Vastaamo Hack: Therapy Notes Hacker Jailed for Blackmail

Julius Kivimäki who is (was) one of Europe's most wanted cyber criminals has been jailed for attempting to blackmail 33,000 people whose confidential notes he stole.

He broke the database of Finland's largest psychotherapy company (Vastaamo). We saw once again the well-known but neglected fact: It's not important how big your company is. You can be hacked if you didn't take the necessary countermeasures against cyber attacks.

Investigations found that the databases of the company were vulnerable and open to the internet without proper protections. Yes, it can sound unbelievable but there may be too many similar companies on the world.

It is also worth to mention that the boss of Vastaamo was convicted of failing to protect his customers' sensitive data. (3-month prison) The managers DO have to be aware of that they also have a responsibility to protect the data of their customers. Otherwise they can face a prison sentence.

https://bit.ly/4abmYvl

"In terms of the number of victims, his trial was the biggest criminal case in Finnish history."

"He demanded a 400,000 Euro (£340,000) ransom from the company.

When it refused, he emailed thousands of patients asking for 200 Euros and threatening to publish their notes and personal details on the darknet which he did anyway in full."

"The boss of Vastaamo, Ville Tapio, was also convicted of failing to protect his customers' sensitive data.

Investigations found that the databases were vulnerable and open to the internet without proper protections.

He was given a suspended three-month prison sentence last year.

The company which was once a highly regarded and successful business in Finland collapsed after the hack."