Lithuania
Cyber security

The history of Lithuanian statehood has always been built by members of various ethnic communities

Ethnic minorities in Lithuania lived through the same historical tendencies as the country in which they live: the highs and the lows, the occupations, the political crises and persecution, various reforms. These processes changed the structure of the Lithuanian society and the composition of Lithuanian cities. Below, Zenonas Butkus, a history professor at the Vilnius University, sheds light on how various ethnic minorities in Lithuania became an inseparable part of our society, participated in building the Lithuanian state, defending our statehood and independence. […]

Siren
Cyber security

Experts warn about attempts to artificially escalate panic

Specialists involved in the matter expect that states antagonistic to Lithuania might manipulate information about the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, currently under construction in Ostrovets, just 50 kilometers away from Vilnius, to escalate panic in the society. Edgaras Geda, the Head of the Civilian Security Agency at the Fire and Rescue Department warns, that false messages about incidents at the plant might reach Lithuania through various media, including even the established channels. […]

Internet troll
Cyber security

How to recognize and neutralize the propaganda-spreading “trolls” and “bots” that are occupying the Internet

As the social media culture took hold of our society, it opened up opportunities not only for socialization, self-realization, and the spread of information, but also for abuse. Today, Internet online harassment or bullying aims not only at specific individuals, but also at the broader society. Below, Tomas Stamulis, the manager at the Informational security control group ATEA (JSC), explains how to recognize “trolls” and “bots”, as well as how to counter the abuse they spread online. […]

Lithuania and Poland
Cyber security

Searching for things in common between Lithuanians and Poles may be the best response to the efforts to divide them

States antagonistic to Lithuania often employ the strategy of “divide and conquer” to foment division within the country and between it and its allies. Below, Dr. Viktor Denisenko, Assistant at the Political Communications Department at the Vilnius University Communications School sheds light on what the tools are used to exert informational pressure and to divide Lithuanian and Polish societies, as well as on how to best search for common ground between the two nations. […]

No Picture
Cyber security

How to check that cybercriminals don’t hide behind incoming requests for help

Many have seen heart-wrenching stories about people struggling with serious disease or experiencing difficulties after unexpected misfortune such as a natural disaster circulate online. Unfortunately, such stories – and the requests to donate money or otherwise help these people – may simply be a cynical scheme to extract money from unsuspecting people. Experts list 5 recommendations on how to best recognize if cybercriminals hide behind a request for help. […]

Identity theft
Cyber security

Identity thieves do not restrict themselves to your bank accounts

Most people leave a substantial trace in the virtual space. However, few think about the fact that any data circulating in the social media or on the computer and the phone, may be accessed and exploited by cybercriminals. Below, Dr. Rytis Rainys, the Director of the National Cyber Security Center at the Ministry of Defense talks about what personal identity theft is and how to avoid it. […]

Poland and Lithuania
Cyber security

Lithuania’s ethnic minorities played an important role in the fight for freedom

The Lithuanian military cannot guard the state properly without public support. This is well understood by states antagonistic to Lithuania, which try to weaken our state by sowing conflict and discord between various societal groups in Lithuania and by diminishing the importance of national defense. Despite the efforts by antagonistic states, the Lithuanian ethnic communities continue to play an important role in the modern effort to strengthen state security, just as they did in the historical effort to secure Lithuanian independence. […]

Lietuva ir Lenkija
Cyber security

Lithuanian and Polish cooperation in defense and energy is in the crosshairs of the Kremlin’s propaganda

The Kremlin propaganda agents are noticeably intensifying their effort to drive a wedge between Lithuania and Poland. Below, Tomas Janeliūnas, a professor at the Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science, describes the main tools of informational pressure Russia uses to this goal and the reasons for these manipulations. […]

No Picture
Cyber security

Residents are urged caution: free Internet may cost very dearly

Today, wireless internet is available nearly everywhere: at home, in the workplace, malls, cafes, the airport, public transport, or even right on the streets. Accessing desired information freely has become much more convenient – but the open access Wi-Fi has opened up more opportunities for cybercriminals as well. Below, Dr. Rytis Rainys, the Director of the National Cyber Security Centre describes the danger of cybercrime through open networks and the ways to minimize these risks. […]

Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Cyber security

A strong state is built by different nations working together: what tools does the Kremlin use to prevent this from happening?

Lithuania is not a monoethnic state. Poles, Russians, Tatars and other ethnicities live in our state and their presence here dates back to the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Much like in any society, different nationalities sometimes fail to communicate with one another. This is a problem that needs to be addressed but, lately, Russia has been trying to exploit miscommunication between different ethnic communities in Lithuania. Below, specialists advise how to recognize the methods of informational pressure that the Kremlin uses to sow discord, and how to respond to them. […]

Dainava district partisans. Winter 1945-1946
Cyber security

Lithuanian freedom fighters in Russian propaganda: why does the Kremlin care?

Historical falsification, fact distortion, and tendentious interpretation are commonly employed as informational pressure tools to spread negative narratives among the neighboring states, to discourage citizens’ faith in their state, to weaken the will to resist the aggressor, to instill doubt about the country’s past, its historically important people. Below, Auksė Ūsienė, the senior specialist at the Strategic Communications department of the Lithuanian military explains why Lithuanian partisans often become targets of the Kremlin’s propaganda. […]

Rytis Rainys
Cyber security

Fraudsters online fish for data of citizens and companies alike: how to not get hooked?

Password fishing or phishing, for short, is one of the most widespread tools cyber-criminals use to steal money. As bait, phishers send their targets emails that allow to extract personal data from those who open them. Cybersecurity experts note that such tactics are used against both individual citizens and against companies. Below, the Director of the National Center for Cybersecurity Rytis Rainys explains, how to recognize the potential threats and how not to become another fish for the fraudsters. […]

Mobile phone
Cyber security

5 essential rules for keeping your personal data safe on your phone

This summer, the ride-sharing company “Yandex. Taxi” started its activity in Lithuania and immediately caused a stir in the Lithuanian society. The National Cyber Security Center even issued a public recommendation to avoid using this app, as the leaked data of Lithuanian residents might constitute a threat to national security. Other specialists draw attention to the fact that such cyberattacks are increasingly common, and cyber criminals use mobile apps for non-political goals too. Hackers use acquired data to clean electronic banking accounts, to blackmail, or to use the hacked devices as launchpads for future attacks. For these reasons, it is crucial to know how to prevent your phone and your data from falling into hackers’ hands. […]

Vitas Vasiliauskas
Cyber security

Money laundering story casts shadow on whole Baltic banking sector – Lithuanian c.banker

The recent money laundering story involving banks operating in the Baltic states has a negative impact on the reputation of the whole region’s banking sector, says Vitas Vasiliauskas, board chairman of the Bank of Lithuania. […]