Prague, Oct 23 (CTK) – The Czech Defence Ministry is building in secret a team of military agents who will be in charge of the country’s cyber defence and who will be able to carry out a counter-attack if needed, daily Pravo writes in its Saturday issue.
It writes that the ministry has been looking for computing experts capable of protecting important information networks and databases, but also attacking enemy computers as hackers in case of a threat.
The construction of the National Cyber Forces Centre in Prague will start as soon as parliament passes an amendment to the Military Intelligence (VZ) law, Pravo writes.
“We do not want to attack anyone, but of a concentrated attack were aimed at a target in the Czech Republic, the centre would have the ability to identify the attack and to carry out a counter-attack,” Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky told Pravo.
If the state is capable of active defence, this will have a preventive effect and will discourage hackers from further attacks, Jiri Hynek, president of the Defence and Security Industry Association, told Pravo.
The draft amendment to the VZ law orders Internet operators and providers to make it possible for military agents to connect to the computing network and monitor it. The Defence Ministry would pay for this service and provide data, while rejection of this them would be fined, Pravo writes.
“Specific use of technical devices will be determined by the government as a collective body, which will ensure the necessary degree of control of the Military Intelligence,” says the draft, Pravo writes.
This is, however, rather dubious since only a court can permit the use of means to monitor a specific communication, it adds.
At present, cyber security is within the power of the National Security Office (NBU), which operates a centre in Brno that helps state institutions and important fimrs fight hackers, Pravo writes.
