The web portal and the internal network of the Georgian First Channel were damaged as a result of a large-scale cyber attack in Georgia on October 28, 2019.

The broadcast of Georgian Radio was temporarily disrupted.

The cyberattack knocked thousands of Georgian websites offline and disrupted national television broadcasts. The official web-page of President of Georgia was also hacked. In many cases, website home pages were replaced with an image of former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, and the caption “I’ll be back”.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia launched an investigation into the case under Articles 284 and 286, which implies to unauthorised access to the computer system and handling of computer data and/or computer systems.

Georgian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that the cyber-attack of 28 October, 2019 against Georgian websites was planned and carried out by the Main Division of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded to the fact and released a statement. “The United States condemns Russian cyberattack against the country of Georgia and calls on Russia to cease this behavior in Georgia and elsewhere”, -the statement reads.  The British and several other foreign Ministries also responded to the fact.