CyberBunker
Encyclopedia
CyberBunker is a former military
nuclear warfare
bunker
that is currently utilized as a data-center
.
During the Cold War
, NATO maintained top secret
hardened facilities all over western Europe
. In 1955 a large command bunker was constructed just outside the small town of Kloetinge
in the south of the Netherlands
. The facility was designed to house 72 people in case of a nuclear attack and was used as a NATO Radio Base Band Relay Station, and for local espionage and counter-espionage. The facility comprises tunnels and operations rooms on four levels, one above ground designed as a decontamination area and three underground, with 5-meter-thick reinforced concrete
outer walls designed to withstand a 20-megaton nuclear blast
at 5 kilometers. All that is visible from the main gate of the facility is a parking lot
and a remote control
led gate with a surveillance camera
.
In 1996 NATO decommissioned the facility and all furnishings and equipment were removed. The bunker was sold in 1996 and became a datacenter in 1998 with the name "CyberBunker".
A2B initially refused, blocking only a single IP address
linked to spamming. Spamhaus retaliated by blacklisting all of A2B address space. A2B capitulated, dropping CyberBunker, but then filed complaints with the Dutch police against Spamhaus for extortion.
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
that is currently utilized as a data-center
Data center
A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...
.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, NATO maintained top secret
Top Secret
Top Secret generally refers to the highest acknowledged level of classified information.Top Secret may also refer to:- Film and television :* Top Secret , a British comedy directed by Mario Zampi...
hardened facilities all over western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
. In 1955 a large command bunker was constructed just outside the small town of Kloetinge
Kloetinge
Kloetinge is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Goes, on the eastern side of the city.Kloetinge was a separate municipality until 1970, when it was merged with Goes....
in the south of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The facility was designed to house 72 people in case of a nuclear attack and was used as a NATO Radio Base Band Relay Station, and for local espionage and counter-espionage. The facility comprises tunnels and operations rooms on four levels, one above ground designed as a decontamination area and three underground, with 5-meter-thick reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
outer walls designed to withstand a 20-megaton nuclear blast
Effects of nuclear explosions
The energy released from a nuclear weapon detonated in the troposphere can be divided into four basic categories:*Blast—40-50% of total energy*Thermal radiation—30-50% of total energy...
at 5 kilometers. All that is visible from the main gate of the facility is a parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
and a remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
led gate with a surveillance camera
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
.
In 1996 NATO decommissioned the facility and all furnishings and equipment were removed. The bunker was sold in 1996 and became a datacenter in 1998 with the name "CyberBunker".
Facility specifications
- Hardened biometric-protected doors
- Emergency generators with enough fuel to operate the facility for 10 years.
- Nuclear/Biological/Chemical (NBC) air filtration and airlocks.
- Electromagnetic PulseElectromagnetic pulseAn electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
(EMP) shielding. - Unknown number of backup diesel generators.
- 10,000 liter water tank plus an additional 240,000 liters of water stored externally.
- shock-mounting isolation pads.
- indoor swimming poolSwimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
Involvement with Spammers
In October, 2011, Spamhaus identified CyberBunker as providing hosting for spammers and contacted their upstream provided, A2B, demanding service be cancelled.A2B initially refused, blocking only a single IP address
IP address
An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two principal functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing...
linked to spamming. Spamhaus retaliated by blacklisting all of A2B address space. A2B capitulated, dropping CyberBunker, but then filed complaints with the Dutch police against Spamhaus for extortion.