Cyber aspects of Russo-Georgian War

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CYBER ASPECTS OF RUSSO-GEORGIAN WAR

Ana Sulakvelidze

Student of Information Security Studies and Analysis Center

INFORMATION SECURITY

STUDIES AND ANALYSIS CENTER



INFORMATION SECURITY STUDIES AND ANALYSIS CENTER ± E-LIBRARY

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* * * * * * *

Current document represents educational material and it is based on non-classified sources

and on personal observations. In case of any other kind use of this publication, author is not

responsible. The opinions and recommendations represented by this document should not be

considered as official position of INFORMATION SECUIRTY STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

CENTER, which by itself represents this document.

© Ana Sulakvelidze

All Rights Reserved.

It is strictly forbidden copying and redistribution of this document, without authors agreement.




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CYBER ASPECTS OF RUSSO-GEORGIAN WAR

Russo-Georgian War of August 2008was alarming for the international

community not only because it

was an open attempt of a big and

strong state to occupy its little and

weak neighbor, but also because

this conventional war was

accompanied by the cyber attacks

on Georgian cyberspace.

Worthy to note, that cyber attacks

on Georgian cyberspace started

several weeks before the conventional war via social networks, media, and generally

internet1. Nevertheless, the Russian special agencies understood clearly that the massive

cyber attacks on Georgian cyberspace would yield more effective results if implemented

during the conventional war. The cyber attacks on Georgian cyberspace disrupted the majority

of Georgian government websites and pro-Georgian political web-portals2. As a result,

Georgia experienced complete information vacuum, which meant for the country almost a

deadlock; obviously, the country, which is engaged in an unequal war with the powerful

neighbor, can only rely on the international assistance and support. In such situation an

information vacuum automatically meant for Georgia a stalemate.

The cyber attacks on Georgia were accomplished according to the popular Botnet scheme

where several computers were coordinated in a group, and a chief computer ascribed to each

group computer a particular task; the group computers with the different specific tasks sent a

deluge of internet traffic to the victim computers in order to cause DDoS problem (Denial-of-

Service).

1Cyber Report 2008-2010. Lasha Pataraia.

2 Ibid




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As I mentioned earlier, the international community paid a noteworthy attention to the cyber

attacks on Georgian cyberspace in August 2008. Several articles and publications were

published in the top newspapers and magazines of the world. John Markoff started his article

in New York Times stating that, the cyber attack on Georgian cyberspace began as early as

July 20 when the DDoS attack was implemented on president Saakashvili¶s webpage3. It

appeared quite difficult for experts and international community to determine whether the

Russian government, Russian intelligence agencies, or simply ³patriot´ Russian hackers were

responsible for these attacks. Nevertheless, an attempt to disconnect Georgia during the

Russo-Georgian conventional war was obvious.

Furthermore, there were several suggestions from the independent experts and Georgian

government officials about Russia¶s ³strong connection´ to the attacks on Georgian

cyberspace; moreover, the possible involvement of the Russian shadowy business

organization, called Russian Business Network, was also suggested by the Georgian party and

the independent expert community. 4The Shadowserver Foundation contended that one of the

six used servers in the aforementioned attacks was of Russian origin, and that the

implemented Botnet scheme was very similar to those schemes generally used by the Russian

hackers5.

Finally, cyber aspects of Russo-Georgian war of August 2008 are significant for the wholeinternational community, because this attack on Georgian cyberspace was the first cyber

3Before the Gunfire. John Markoff. New York Times. 2008.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/technology/13cyber.html 4 NATO and Cyber Defense. 173 DSCFC 09 E bis. http://www.nato-pa.int/default.asp?SHORTCUT=1782 5

Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence (CCDCE). Cyber Attacks Against Georgia: Legal LessonsIdentified.




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attack which coincided with the conventional war. On the other hand, this experience is

priceless for Georgia and its future development regarding digital technologies. While

Georgia is a newcomer in cyberspace, the cyber attacks of 2008 led the country to realize

how important cybersecurity is for the national security, and how immature Georgia is in the

field. Additionally, the scrupulous analysis of the cyber aspects of Russo-Georgian war

allowed the international community to apprise an existing situation in the whole range.

In sum, regardless that the Georgian cyberspace is far from being secure and standardized, the

process of cyberspace standardization should certainly start in Georgia in the nearest future in

order to ensure proper development of the nation.




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ABOUT THE CENTER

Information Security Studies and Analysis Center is the first and only in the Caucasus region

oriented towards the field of Information Security.

Establishment of the organization was caused by the new reality to develop after 2008

Russian-Georgian conflict. The war in 2008 showed us that there were no systems developed

so far to provide protection against the means of informational warfare and cyber-terrorism,

this equally is a challenge to both public and private sectors. Non-existence of respective law

basis, governmental institutions and appropriate means to fight against cyber-crime and cyber-

terrorism affects not only the homeland security but economy of the country also.

Currently in both private or governmental sectors there are modern technologies actively

implemented, the bigger is the process automation scale the more dificcult is its control. In the

conditions where there are espionage and other security challenges, that are of a technological

character, there are new threats to rise, consequently security of the information becomes vital

to not only governmental organizations, but private sector also.

Opposite to the named above threats and challenges our organization gathered a team of

experienced professionals, that gives us the opportunity for the first time in Georgia to

establish institutional mechanisms to fight cyber-terrorism, piracy, corporate espionage and so

on.




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OUR SERVICES

We offer unique services to private and governmental sectors, such as:

y Training of specialists in the fields of Information Secuirty, intelligence and anti-terrorism;

y Staffing;

y Training to different type of employees of private and governmental sectors;

y Audit in terms of informational security aspects and preparation of respectiverecommendations;

y Development of standards and SOPs;

y Creation of organizational units for threat monitoring and incident reaction;

y Consultancy in IT infrastructural issues, legal part of IT projects;

y Development of software/hardware solutions, provision and implementation;

y IT outsourcing, protected hosting on US servers, domain registration and etc.

The first priority to the center still remains study of the technological, geopolitical and

military challenges existing in the country, at the same time in-depth analysis of such, and

timely provision of the objective information to public. For this purpose analytical unit of

ISSAC periodically prepares and publishes analysis of modern threats and global trends. We

are maximally transparent in our activities and we help out those interested in these fields, we

give them knowledge base and encourage them to become part of the various projects

conducted by the center.

Our goal is to cooperate with as much governmental institution and educational units as

possible in order to ensure more effective fight against modern threats, create general/common

standards and means of implementation of these standards, increase the quality of

informationin this field to the society and provide our services to those who really needs it.




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This publication was downloaded from E-LIBRARY portal of

INFORMATION SECURITY STUDIES AND ANALYSIS CENTER

http://www.issac.ge




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Cyber aspects of Russo-Georgian War

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