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Lightning strikes Israeli intel unit, shutting down computers

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, January 27, 2006

TEL AVIV — The Israeli military's Intelligence Corps is researching means protect advanced computers and other equipment from natural causes after being shut down for 30 hours by lightening.

On Jan. 14, lightening struck the headquarters of the military intelligence's Unit 8200 in Herzliya.

Unit 8200 has been regarded as the most prominent intelligence-gathering group in the Israeli intelligence community. The unit was said to have the most advanced surveillance and monitoring equipment in the Middle East.

The lightening was said to have knocked out the computers for 30 hours, Middle East Newsline reported.

"It's hard to know whether the army's intelligence establishment suffered any damage," an intelligence officer told the Israeli news service Ynet.

In wake of the blackout, scores of soldiers in 8200 were sent home until the computers were restored. The sources said this was the first time the activities of the unit were suspended because of natural causes.

The sources said military intelligence was studying ways to make its computer network resistant to lightening and floods. They said a huge amount of information has been stored in the data network of 8200 and other units.

An Israeli military spokesman confirmed that lightening struck the base and damaged a power system. The spokesman said no damage was caused to the intelligence-gathering operation.

The sources said methods to protect the computers of Unit 8200 would be shared with other agencies in the Israeli intelligence community. Unit 8200 cooperates with the Mossad and the Israel Security Agency.


Copyright © 2006 East West Services, Inc.

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