In Database We Trust?

The Problem Traditionally, cyber intruders have sought to either exfiltrate proprietary information for financial gain or destroy data to create disruption. Large-scale data exfiltration is difficult because network administrators actively monitor and restrict the content and destination of outbound network flows. And, while an attack that destroys data may be disruptive in the short-term, the loss of data is readily detected and resolved by restoring from backups. As the concept of total warfare between nation states has emerged, the long-term objective of distorting adversaries' perception has become an attractive attack. A data manipulation attack is attractive because it is difficult to detect, especially if the alterations are subtle, and yet the impact can be significant. For example, by altering the economic output indicators of a nation or corporation, an attacker can manipulate interest rates and stock prices to their financial gain and others' losses, potentially destabilizing a nation. By altering data in the systems of reference an organization relies on, an attacker can alter the perception and understanding of the world of both the victim and those who depend on information and policy disseminated from that organization.