Brazil's Defense Minister admits to vulnerability in cyber defense

Brazil's Defense Minister Celso Amorim admitted on Wednesday that the country is very vulnerable when it comes to cyber defense, making foreign espionage easier.

The minister made the statement during a Senate hearing. He was summoned to talk about the allegations that the U.S. intelligence agencies have spied on millions of Brazilian citizen calls and e- mails.

"We are in a situation of vulnerability nowadays," the minister said, adding that he met with Army experts to measure the extent of Brazil's problems in the cyber defense field, and to determine whether military intel may have been affected by the espionage scheme.

Amorim said that Brazil needs to beef up its cyber security as the Army's cyber defense program is still new, having started operations only two years ago.

Complaining that Brazil does not have a locally-made satellite for cyber defense, he said that data transmission lines must have Brazilian technology, which are currently operated by foreign companies.

"The networks do not have a Brazilian system for protection, the tools are all foreign. Scientific and technological development is one of the most urgent needs in this field," the minister said.

Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota also spoke during the same Senate hearing, saying the espionage allegations would be discussed on international fora.