How were denial-of-service attacks used against Georgia in 2008?

In August 2008, during the conflict between Russia and Georgia, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks were employed as a tool of cyberwarfare against Georgia.12

In these attacks, perpetrators utilized malware to hijack a large number of computers, forming botnets of "zombie" computers. These compromised devices were then directed to overwhelm targeted systems, effectively preventing their proper function. It is alleged that mostly civilian Russian hackers conducted these operations, targeting key government, financial, media, and commercial websites within Georgia.2

The primary impact of these attacks was the temporary denial of access for both the Georgian government and its citizens to essential sources of information and internal and external communication channels. While the Russian government has been suspected of involvement in these cyberattacks, its direct participation has not been definitively proven.21