The Latest in IT Security

Ukrainian hackers are claiming responsibility for a cyberattack that brought down a pair of NATO websites today, in an act of protest against Western powers on the eve of a major vote that could see a portion of Ukraine handed over to Russia. The hacktivist group, Cyber Berkut, says that it took down NATOs primary website and the website of its cyber defense center; Cyberattacks from both sides have escalated over the prior weeks, as Crimea — a Ukrainian peninsula bordering Russia thats about the size of New Jersey — approaches a vote tomorrow over secession, which is expected to end in the region joining Russia. Ukraine and Western leaders have called the vote illegal, and while the UN attempted to pass a resolution invalidating it, the resolution was ultimately vetoed, unsurprisingly, by Russia.