Strikeback Security

[nacule () gmail com]

A counter-strike or strike-back security strategy involves actively attacking Internet users and systems that are 
attacking your assets. A number of people have written papers and posted opinions on this topic, and almost everyone 
has a very strong viewpoint. 

I don’t want to get into the ethics and legality of a strike-back security strategy as it would just be beating a dead 
donkey. But what I would like to know is this, (without any names) does anyone know of an organization that currently 
employs such a strategy? I read about a late 90s research exercise which claimed that an amazingly large number of 
fortune 500 companies did actively implement such a strategy.

Also, if you know of someone who employs such a strategy, what is the average percentage of collateral damage (i.e 
where they go after the wrong system/network and as a result bring down an innocent party)? This percentage would 
generally be low if all strike-back was done manually, but there are automated systems such as the Sidewinder G2 
Firewall that allows for an automated strike-back (and I guess some organizations must have developed their own 
automated strike-back systems as well).

I know people are not very forthcoming with this type of information, but I just want to get and idea on how widely and 
effectively strike-back security is practiced amongst organizations.