Quote Originally Posted by Ken White View Post
Seems to me like they'd react on the "I don't want this to happen to me" rationale.

Sort of my (distant, very distant) cousin against my enemy...

And would not the guvmint weigh in -- on the same basis?

No familiarity with the corporate IT -- or anybody's IT -- realm so I'm just asking.
The government rarely weighs in on cyber conflict until somebody can be proved to be breaking the law.

As to the information technology aspect consider this.

Information technology is the life blood of a military unit. You don't think of it that way but you use it that way. Imagine if somebody could see all of your operational orders, all of your logistics, all of your communicaitons with command entities. That is the capability of an attack against your confidentiality mechanisms. This is an aspect of cyber warfare that is not considered often.

Now imagine if somebody could enter your systems and change data around. Instead of ordering bullets from the rear you order up potatoes. What if somebody was to change your operational and mission type orders so that you decrease the watch in particular areas at a particular time thereby giving opportunity to the enemy? That is an attack against the integrity mechanisms.

Now consider the old school methods of a spy entering your command tent silent enough to be not detected and capable enough to succeed. The chances are fairly slim right? When the computer becomes the mechanism the chances explode in probability. The attack succeeds and the damage occurs.

These are the kind of attacks that the Scientology group is being challenged with. There innermost secrets are exposed, the command structure is being exposed, the logistics of the group is open to consideration. Some would say that is just fine the Sceintologists should be more transparent. Regardless no organization can function if trust is violated externally or internally. If this was the Catholic church and records of confessional conversations were being exposed the damage would be catastrophic.

The attacks are highly coordinated and have appeared to be effective. It is an interesting case study to watch as it unfolds.