[Itse]

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archiv...ational_1.html

Schneier on "organizational doxing". This is quite nefarious, and unfortunately something to be expected.

Wouldn't surprise to see it happen in this election cycle, because Trump is obviously ready to do anything. But internationally this is already happening.

The hackers, in some cases individuals and in others nation-states, are out to make political points by revealing proprietary, secret, and sometimes incriminating information. And the documents they leak do that, airing the organizations' embarrassments for everyone to see.

In all of these instances, the documents were real: the email conversations, still-secret product details, strategy documents, salary information, and everything else. But what if hackers were to alter documents before releasing them? This is the next step in organizational doxing# -- and the effects can be much worse.

It's one thing to have all of your dirty laundry aired in public for everyone to see. It's another thing entirely for someone to throw in a few choice items that aren't real.

Recently, Russia has started using forged documents as part of broader disinformation campaigns, particularly in relation to Sweden's entering of a military partnership with NATO, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Forging thousands -- or more -- documents is difficult to pull off, but slipping a single forgery in an actual cache is much easier. The attack could be something subtle. Maybe a country that anonymously publishes another country's diplomatic cables wants to influence yet a third country, so adds some particularly egregious conversations about that third country. Or the next hacker who steals and publishes email from climate change researchers invents a bunch of over-the-top messages to make his political point even stronger. Or it could be personal: someone dumping email from thousands of users making changes in those by a friend, relative, or lover.

Imagine trying to explain to the press, eager to publish the worst of the details in the documents, that everything is accurate except this particular email. Or that particular memo. That the salary document is correct except that one entry. Or that the secret customer list posted up on WikiLeaks is correct except that there's one inaccurate addition. It would be impossible. Who would believe you? No one. And you couldn't prove it.