Revisiting the Estonian Cyber Attacks: Digital Threats and Multinational Responses

Journal of Strategic Security

Herzog, Stephen¹ 

[1] Federation of American Scientists, Washington, D.C.Federation of American Scientists, Washington, D.C.Federation of American Scientists, Washington, D.C.

关键词: Cybersecurity;    Europe and EU;    Global trends and risks;    Information operations;    Networks and network analysis;    Nonstate actors;    Science and technology & security;    Russia;   

DOI  :  10.5038/1944-0472.4.2.3

学科分类：建筑学

来源: Henley-Putnam University Press

【 摘 要 】

In April 2007, the Estonian Government moved a memorial commemoratingthe Soviet liberation of the country from the Nazis to a less prominentand visible location in Tallinn. This decision triggered rioting amongRussian-speaking minorities and cyber terrorism targeting Estonia's criticaleconomic and political infrastructure. Drawing upon the Estoniancyber attacks, this article argues that globalization and the Internet haveenabled transnational groupssuch as the Russian diasporato avengetheir grievances by threatening the sovereignty of nation-states in cyberspace.Sophisticated and virtually untraceable political "hacktivists" maynow possess the ability to disrupt or destroy government operations,banking transactions, city power grids, and even military weapon systems.Fortunately, western countries banded together to effectively combatthe Estonian cyber attacks and minimize their effects. However, thisarticle concludes that in the age of globalization, interdependence, anddigital interconnectedness, nation-states must engage in increased cooperative cyber-defense activities to counter and prevent devastating Internet attacks and their implications.

【 授权许可】

Unknown