UK says it gets hit by 1,000 cyber attacks monthly

LONDON: The chief of Britain's eavesdropping agency says there are an average of 1,000 cyber attacks launched against U.K. government networks monthly.

GCHQ Director Iain Lobban says that malicious software already has caused significant disruption to the government's systems and that security officials have tracked the theft of intellectual property ``on a massive scale.''

Lobban told selected guests at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London that developing Britain's cyberwarfare capability may help deter online enemies but noted that countermeasures need to be coordinated internationally.

The text of his speech was posted on the think tank's web site on Wednesday.