Cyber Attacks Are Attacks Even When They Have No Credibility

The ultra-right has no shame. It even attacks little girls, cookie sales, and learning badges.

You'll see what I mean at "Honest Girl Scouts.com."  (http://www.honestgirlscouts.com/discover_2011natlconv.html) There you will find accusations such as, "you would have to conclude that they (Girl Scouts) just promote pro-abortion, pro-promiscuity, pro-gay-lesbian, liberal SPEAKERS AND ENTERTAINERS (paid with your donations and purchases of cookies, uniforms, books, badges, gift items, etc.)."


There you'll also find attacks on people who have nothing to do with Girl Scouts. Ah, like the evil Katie Couric is included: "QUOTE: 'Women are half the population, let’s not waste all these brains on things that don’t matter,' she said. 'Now more than ever Girl Scouts are needed to create the leaders of tomorrow.'


"Are we to gather from this comment, that women who can afford and/or choose to stay home and raise their kids -- instead of handing them over to strangers and institutions all day so Mommy can be a community activist -- are doing things that don't matter? Are we also to think that Girl Scouting is a replacement for traditional values because it indoctrinates children to become social and political activists 'leaders of tomorrow?'"

Huh? It would be easy to laugh this off for most of us. The Kentuckiana Girl Scouts, for one, don't think it's a laughing matter.

“'I almost feel like we’re under attack right now,' said Lora Tucker, the CEO of Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana. She told WHAS11 News she wants to know who is behind the information being posted on the internet. 'There’s a lot of misinformation,' said Tucker." (http://www.whas11.com/home/Girl-Scouts-of-Kentuckiana-CEO-defends-organization-138080573.html)
Check out the "Boycott Cookie Flier" at http://www.honestgirlscouts.com/index.html. It's a reminder that anyone with a computer -- and that includes nutjobs -- can create hardships for our organizations. This is so stupid that only those building bunkers against the world would believe it. I trust this nonsense won't affect Girl Scout cookie sales. How many of you believe that every box of cookies sold will subsidize preteen abortions and lesbian promotion?

But there are many more credible attacks online that can affect your business or services. Your crisis communications plan has to account for such cyber attacks.