[Cryptography] Iranian Hack of Las Vegas Sands

[Phillip Hallam-Baker]

On Fri, Dec 12, 2014 at 7:59 AM, Jim Windle <jim.windle at gmail.com> wrote:

> This was new. Other countries have spied on American companies, and they
> have stolen from them, but this is likely the first time—occurring months
> before the late November attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment (SNE
> <http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=SNE>
> )—that a foreign player simply sought to destroy American corporate
> infrastructure on such a scale. Both hacks may represent the beginning of a
> geopolitically confusing, and potentially devastating, phase of digital
> conflict.
>
>
> http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-11/iranian-hackers-hit-sheldon-adelsons-sands-casino-in-las-vegas#r=read
>


Fascinating.

One question, why stop at messing up his casino? Assassination would be
cheaper, easier and possibly more effective.

There are probably several reasons but one is almost certainly that this
type of cyber attack is not considered a red line by anyone. Stuxnet
targeted an Iranian nuclear facility and could have been considered an act
of war. Iran chose not to.

Going after Adelson rather than allies of the President is also rather
interesting. It suggests that the Iranians (probably correctly) guess that
the administration isn't going to make protecting Adelson's pocket book a
priority.

As I keep saying on drones, what looks like a peachy idea when only we have
the capability turns into reheated turd when the other side can play the
same game.
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