The non-state hackers that worry me the most are …

Last Updated on Friday, 20 November 2009 09:26 Written by Jeffreycarr Friday, 20 November 2009 09:26

… religious extremists with the technical chops to target critical infrastructure and the companies that support it.

Every other motivation (politics, money, greed, ego, patriotism, etc.) is manageable in some way, but not when an adversary believes that he is empowered to perform heinous acts by a Supreme being, whether its Allah, Jehovah, Jesus, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster. If you add to that the following hacker typology, you’ve got a serious problem to deal with:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science or Engineering
• Affiliated with a medium-sized organization
• Disciplined and patient enough to adhere to a long-term plan

There are lots of threats in cyberspace that deserve investigation and monitoring, but if I had to choose just one group to focus on, it would be these guys and others like them.