Companies consider 'hacking back'

The recent spurt of cyberattacks on major United States (US) companies has emphasized the limited options victims possess when it comes to dealing with such intrusions. Mostly, they can only wait out the attack and then attempt to smooth over any ensuing negative publicity and upgrade their security

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However, company officials are increasingly discussing the potential of going on the offensive and, as cybersecurity consultants have dubbed it, "hacking back".

Experts say that, though there are many risks to this, such as provoking a full-scale 'cyberwar' which would result in collateral damage across the Internet, the idea has gradually become more enticing as frustration grows on the inability of the government to police cyberspace.

Referring to hacking back, chief cybersecurity officer for Trend Micro (a global security software company),Tom Kellerman said that, "Active defense is happening. It's not mainstream. It's very selective." Kellerman was also once a member of US President Obama's commission on cybersecurity.

A prominent facet of the discussion is the possibility of attaching a 'beacon' to sensitive data, making it simpler to track both the stolen data and the persons responsible for the theft. Other ideas include tricking hackers into stealing a fake set of sensitive data, and then tracking it s movements across cyberspace.

However, many also warn about the dangers of hacking back. Officials say that entering another person or company's network without permission violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, even if the intrusion occurs in an attempt to identify hackers or destroy stolen data. Any resulting consequences, such as accidentally damaging an innocent company's network, may cause significant legal liability.

by Kevin Andrews

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