Publication

Estonia, though one of the smallest NATO member states, is one of the most highly wired countries in the world. Almost every activity is done over the internet, from personal banking transactions to education, media access and voting in local elections. Estonian society's ubiquitous information technology (IT) dependence has also made the country highly vulnerable to cyber attacks that could potentially paralyze its everyday activities. The author of this report argues that the attacks were a true wake-up call for NATO, offering a practical demonstration that cyber attacks could now cripple an entire nation which is heavily dependent on IT networks.