Cyber Blockades

This is the first book to examine cyber blockades, which are large-scale attacks on infrastructure or systems that prevent a state from accessing cyberspace, thus preventing the transmission (ingress/egress) of data. The attack can take place through digital, physical, and/or electromagnetic means, and it can be conducted by another state or a sub-state group. The purpose of this book is to understand how cyber blockades can shut down or otherwise render cyberspace useless for an entire country, and Russell also seeks to understand the implications of cyber blockades for international relations. A cyber blockade can be either a legitimate or illegitimate tool depending on the circumstances. What is certain is that the state on the receiving end faces a serious threat to its political, military, economic, and social stability. The book includes two in-depth case studies of cyber blockades, Estonia in 2007 and Georgia in 2008, both of which suffered cyber attacks from Russia. Russell compares cyber blockades with those in other domains (sea, land, air, and space) and offers recommendations for policymakers and for further academic study.

Alison Lawlor Russell holds a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, is a nonresident research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, and has been a visiting lecturer at Boston College and Tufts University.