Georgian officials and international security experts say the Georgian government was hit by repeated cyberattacks just as Russia launched military action against the country, a move that illustrates the potential of cyberwarfare to augment a military attack. The leading suspect behind the attacks, which disabled key government Web sites, is a cybercriminal organization known as the Russian Business Network. That organization, however, is believed to act only as a carrier for criminal activities online. It may not be possible to determine who is ultimately responsible. The attacks on Georgia's public-information infrastructure have been particularly stinging in a conflict in which President Mikheil Saakashvili has tried to mount an aggressive media offensive on the airwaves.
