(((I'm back from the hills. Some hills are cozier than others.)))
(((From EDRI.)))
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3. Problems with online FoI in the Georgia-Russia conflict
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The conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia region has extended to Internet, both countries having launched cyber-attacks and blocking each other's broadcasting sites.
Georgian authorities have blocked access to Russian news broadcasters and websites, the action being justified by Georgia's Interior Ministry with the argument that Russian broadcasts would "scare our population" which the government could not allow.
Mamia Sanadiradze, founder and CEO of Caucasus Online, the biggest Georgian
ISP, told Reuters: "People from the (Georgian) security agencies asked me to block Russian sites. There were threats from viruses, we faced disinformation and so on. (...) I hope that when war is over, we will unblock these sites."
On the other hand, Georgian online news media and the Georgian government websites have been attacked by Russian hackers, including the President's site. In order to remain accessible, the foreign ministry website changed its URL address.
Security researchers claim to have evidence showing a link between Russian state businesses and the cyber-attacks against Georgia. Denial of service attacks against Georgian websites started a day before the break out of the military conflict over South Ossetia.
Don Jackson, a SecureWorks researcher said that logs showed that part of the attack was run from command and control servers located on the networks of
Rostelecom and Comstar, two Russian state-run companies. "We know that the
Russian government controls those servers theoretically, if they have not been 'pwned' by somebody else," Jackson told eWeek. The two companies made changes in routing tables that blocked internet traffic to Georgia. The same networks were used to launch denial of service attacks and cache poisoning attacks against Georgian networks, according to SecureWorks.
Reporters Without Borders condemn the violation of online freedom of information. "The Internet has become a battleground in which information is the first victim. On the one side, the main Georgian ISPs severed access to
Russian websites. On the other side, Georgian government websites were attacked by Russian hackers. With newspapers and radio and TV stations putting out very little independent news, the Internet is a vital tool for the public, so these attacks must stop at once."
Russian and Georgian websites fall victim to a war being fought online as well as in the field (13.08.2008)
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=28167
Georgia cuts access to Russian websites, TV news (19.08.2008)
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSLJ36223120080819
Georgia accuses Russia of coordinated cyberattack (11.08.2008)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10014150-83.html?hhTest=1
Bear prints found on Georgian cyber-attacks (14.08.2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/14/russia_georgia_cyberwar_latest/
Russian cybercrooks turn on Georgia (11.08.2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/11/georgia_ddos_attack_reloaded/
(((Meanwhile, next door in the Ukraine, in the office of President
Yushchenko:)))
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4593424.ece
(...)
Q: Russia claims that you are selling arms to Georgia. Is that true?
Yushchenko: It is very difficult to comment on the unsubstantiated claims of Russian officials particularly as they have supplied no evidence. The partnership between Ukraine and Georgia is based on law and on mutual benefit, as with any two countries. We have an inter-governmental agreement on military cooperation signed in 1995 and 1996. No limits have been set by international organisations on military technical cooperation between Georgia and Ukraine, so any comment on this subject amounts to unhelpful speculation.
Q: Are you going to try to box the Russian fleet into Sevastopol?
Yushchenko: We cannot control a foreign fleet"s operational activities. However we can and must demand that our Russian counterparts strictly abide by Ukrainian legislation regarding the stationing of the Russian navy on our territory. It is set out in international law and there is a modus operandi for situations like this. I have issued two decrees to control the re-location of Russian troops and military equipment outside their bases as well as their crossing of the Ukrainian state border.
This fully complies with the core agreement signed between Ukraine and Russia that regulates the situation as long as the Russian navy is stationed on our territory.
We still face a lot of unresolved issues with respect to the Russian navy"s stationing in the Crimea but I am confident that we will be able to reach a compromise.
Q: So when will you start talks with Russia about removing the fleet when their lease runs out in 2017?
Yushchenko: We have repeatedly urged Russia to consider this issue. However every time we face a lack of understanding and outright reluctance on their part to solve this problem. (...)
Q: How do you feel about the poisoning attempt that scarred your face? Do you know now who was behind it?
Yushchenko: The issue of my poisoning is my personal tragedy and that of my family and unfortunately it has become an integral part of the political debate in Ukraine. There is a great deal of speculation about this. We will have to wait for the legal procedures to take their course and draw a line under this matter.
