Pope moves against hackers

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/scitech/SciTechRepublish_887398.htm

[Nice to see the Swiss Guards have an information warfare component 
working to secure the Pontiff's network. :)  - WK]


Wednesday, 25 June 2003

The Vatican has revealed it has taken on a team of experts to protect 
the Pope's website which is attacked by some 10,000 viruses a month 
and at least 30 mainly American hackers every day. 

"Fortunately, up to now no-one has managed to penetrate the Pope's 
site thanks to a highly efficient team of specialists charged with 
anti-virus protection who have always managed to block hackers' 
emails," said Archbishop Claudio Celli, secretary for the 
administration of the Holy See's heritage. 

"Young Americans are the most common and aggressive of hackers around 
the world seeking to cross the Vatican's e-borders," he continued. 

Pope John Paul II has on several occasions shown his support for the 
Internet, whilst warning against some of its specific uses, but for 
security reasons he has no personal email address. 

Well-wishers' messages reach the pontiff through various other 
addresses which are filtered by Vatican staff. 

For his 83rd birthday in May, the pope received some 23,000 messages. 

The Vatican launched its website (www.vatican.va) on Christmas Day 
1995 with a page of Christmas wishes from the Pope. 

Now, according to Celli, the Vatican website is consulted by some 50 
million surfers in 150 countries.



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