The crisis in Georgia has not only stoked fears of a belligerent Russia. It has also served as a reminder that a new style of warfare – potentially as devastating as those that terrified previous generations – is almost upon us: cyberwar.
Before Russia invaded Georgia, co-ordinated attacks were launched against Georgian government websites, leaving internet servers overloaded and disabled.
This was not the first or the most damaging attack in cyberspace on a sovereign nation by agents suspected of working for another, although it is believed to be the first to coincide with an actual war. Russia was also blamed for a 2007 cyber-assault on Estonia, which asked Nato for help.