Google embroiled in Georgian conflict
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Georgian cyber-attack victims seek refuge on Google-owned blogs
In war, infrastructure is one of the first targets. In the modern age that means websites are legitimate targets for attacks.
The hostilities between Russia and Georgia over the past few days have been accompanied by 'cyber-attacks' on Georgian websites. The attacks are believed to have originated in Russia, the master of cyber-warfare.
Google, the online search enging giant, is now finding that its own infrastructure has become an involuntary refugee camp for victims of cyber war.
Georgian news site Civil.ge, for example, relocated to a domain on Google’s Blogger blogging infrastructure after a cyber-attack, reportedly originating in Russia, took the website down.
Even Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is using the Blogger infrastructure to disseminate information: georgiamfa.blogspot.com/
Meanwhile, reports that the company removed details of Georgian civil infrastructure from its Google Maps were inaccurate, it said today.
"We have never had local data for those countries and that is why local details such as landmarks and cities do not appear," a company statement said.
Further reading
Georgian president suffers cyber attack A website belonging to Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili was brought down over the weekend, allegedly by a botnet of Russian origin
Russia in midst of cyber war The attacks appear similar in character to those perpetrated against neighbouring state Estonia.
