Georgian Bloggers

If anyone ever needed proof that the Internet has changed the landscape of intelligence and information warfare between nations, the events between Russia and Georgia in 2008 that elevated Georgian bloggers into the International spotlight was proof enough.

Are Bloggers Journalists

Russia's 2008 Cyber Attack Against Georgia

In 2008, after a series of threatening political maneuvers and confrontational military moves such as shooting down a Georgian jet within Georgian airspace, the latter half of 2008 saw a tremendous escalation of conflict and war between Russian and Georgia. As Russian troops poured into Abkhazia and later an invasion and partial occupation of Georgia, a massive cyber attack swept through Georgia, threatening to isolate the small country and its tremendous battle for freedom and sovereignty. The fear of human rights organizations across the world was that any isolation and secrecy in the midst of open warfare could promote horrible human rights violations and abuses.

The Cyber Attack

In August 2008, the country of Georgia was hit by a significant cyber attack. The timing of the attack with massive military actions taking place throughout the country led most experts around the world to assume that the event was part of an organized Russian-led effort to isolate the small country from the rest of the world, to maintain control over information and intelligence within the country and possibly to prevent worldwide knowledge of military actions.

Immediately after the cyber attack, news organizations around the world noticed that one Georgian website after another was reporting errors when accessed. These errors were being caused by massive Denial of Service attacks, which were affecting a number of politically important websites such as the following:

• All Georgian government websites
• Georgian news organizations
• Georgian internet portals such as "Georgia Online"
• Georgia anti-Russian websites

After the Cyber Attack - The Power of Georgian Bloggers

However, what the cyber attackers didn't count on was the flexibility and the sweeping power of the Internet and its ability to disseminate information quickly and efficiently. Following the cyber attack, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia started a free Google Blogger blog, and under the protection provided by the secure uptime of Google servers, the government of Georgia issued constant updates regarding military and political events inside the borders of the country.

In fact, while the intent of the cyber attack may have been to cast the country of Georgia into informational darkness - that plan ultimately backfired. Intrigued by the cyber attack, the entire world turned its eyes to Georgia's fate and started searching the web for independent bloggers who could shed some light on events on the ground within Georgia. In addition to the Georgian government, a number of independent Georgian bloggers started writing impressive blog entries about the violence and terror taking place within the country.

Examples of Georgian Bloggers

The following are just a few examples of some of the poignant entries written by many Georgian bloggers:

• Global Voices published an account from "Pepsikolka" about the Russian bombing of the city of Poti.
• Blogger "Sloph" describes the Russian bombing of the BTC pipeline and possible invasion of Abkhazia.
• Global Voices also collected a series of accounts surrounding the South Ossetian crisis.

The Internet and Information Warfare

One of the most important lessons this episode taught the world is that the Internet has completely transformed the landscape of Information warfare. No longer do governments maintain as much control over the media and public opinion. Populations throughout the world are more free than ever to express their personal beliefs and opinions, and in this way, the Internet is serving as a catalyst for freedom throughout the world.

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