IllustratIon by alex wIllIamson

tack that of others. Two recent events illustrate the potential vulnerabilities faced by small nation-states and suggest steps that others may take to mitigate those vulnerabilities and establish a more robust and defensible Internet presence. The first was an attack on Estonian Internet infrastructure and Web sites in May and June 2007. The second was a cyber attack against the Georgian infrastructure that accompanied the Russian incursion into South Ossetia in August 2008.

estonia

Tensions had been building in Estonia
in the spring of 2007 over the country’s
plans to relocate the Bronze Soldier, a
Soviet war memorial, and the capital,
Tallinn, experienced several nights of
rioting. The subsequent cyber attacks
are believed to be a consequence of the
memorial’s relocation.