Digital revenge is sweet but risky

Let's not mince words: Cyberattacks suck. Whether criminals are hacking our passwords, or Anonymous is simply making a statement, the disruptions and data breaches exact a heavy toll in terms of time, money, and security. For example, after the Associated Press Twitter account was hacked and bogus news was posted about an attack on the White House, the U.S. stock market took a nosedive.

The often dire consequences of cyberattacks have the attention of the highest levels of government. Just yesterday, U.S. senators called on the Obama Administration to pursue sanctions against countries believed to be active in cyberattacks. Cybersecurity is one of the issues Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss when he visits Japan this month.

All this talk is great, but back in the here and now, the situation is tough. When cyberattacks occur—and they will—there’s little you can do except control the damage. Unless you hack back, that is.