International Conference: Current Security Challenges for the Western Balkan Region Addressed by Means of Joint Responsibility and Cooperation KEYNOTE ADDRESSES 2 Oberst dG Mag. Walter Unger: Cyber Attacks and the Protection of Strategic Infrastructure INTRODUCTION Cyber attacks are new and serious forms of threat for states whose infrastructure is based on modern information and communication technologies(ICT). It is therefore imperative for such states to extend their security awareness by analysing their vital infrastructures with regard to potential threats, develop relevant strategic security concepts, as well as to establish counter measures against possible attacks. VULNERABLE INFORMATION SOCIETY The functioning of strategically relevant systems on the one hand, and the vulnerability infrastructures to maintain vital societal of these systems on the other, creates weak functions is critical for any state. Disruptions or points which can be exploited by an adversary the elimination of these infrastructures have or intentionally used to weaken or even destroy 54 serious consequences for the health, security, or economic and social wellbeing of a state's an information society. population as well as for the effective Therefore, a massive and coordinated attack functioning of state institutions. against the ICT systems of a state or a society may, under certain circumstances, have similar The traditional industrial society of the twentieth consequences as an attack against the century is clearly on the way to becoming an industrial base itself. For example, the large­“information society”. While(still) dependent on scale cyber attacks against the national ICT industrial production, an information society infrastructures in Estonia during the spring of also becomes considerably dependent on 2007, and again during the Russo-Georgian functioning information and communication war of 2008, demonstrate signicance of this ows. With that shift has also come a growing dimension of security and the urgent need for vulnerability to any disruption of these ows. states to act to protect their national strategic The information society's increasing infrastructure. dependence on information and communication ASSESSMENT OF THE ATTACKS AGAINST ESTONIA AND GEORGIA The cyber attacks against Estonia must be The structured and well-aimed cyber attacks viewed as part of the overall political context against Georgia can similarly be interpreted as a between Estonia and Russia, especially the military operation in cyberspace that occurred extant tensions between the two countries. parallel to the Russian air and land operations ­Primary targets were not the websites of although there is no evidence that ofcial governmental agencies and the industry, but the Russian authorities were involved. strategic Estonian ICT infrastructure.