Damage to Property
Description
Adversaries may cause damage and destruction of property to infrastructure, equipment, and the surrounding environment when attacking control systems. This technique may result in device and operational equipment breakdown, or represent tangential damage from other techniques used in an attack. Depending on the severity of physical damage and disruption caused to control processes and systems, this technique may result in [Loss of Safety](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T0880). Operations that result in [Loss of Control](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T0827) may also cause damage to property, which may be directly or indirectly motivated by an adversary seeking to cause impact in the form of [Loss of Productivity and Revenue](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T0828). The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) reported a targeted attack on a steel mill under an incidents affecting business section of its 2014 IT Security Report. (Citation: BSI State of IT Security 2014) These targeted attacks affected industrial operations and resulted in breakdowns of control system components and even entire installations. As a result of these breakdowns, massive impact and damage resulted from the uncontrolled shutdown of a blast furnace. A Polish student used a remote controller device to interface with the Lodz city tram system in Poland. (Citation: John Bill May 2017) (Citation: Shelley Smith February 2008) (Citation: Bruce Schneier January 2008) Using this remote, the student was able to capture and replay legitimate tram signals. This resulted in damage to impacted trams, people, and the surrounding property. Reportedly, four trams were derailed and were forced to make emergency stops. (Citation: Shelley Smith February 2008) Commands issued by the student may have also resulted in tram collisions, causing harm to those on board and the environment outside. (Citation: Bruce Schneier January 2008)
Mapped SPARTA techniques
9 techniques
T0879 'Damage to Property' addresses adversary actions causing damage and destruction of property to infrastructure, equipment, and surrounding environment; SPARTA EX-0017 'Kinetic Physical Attack' is the orbital instance — kinetic ASAT causes equivalent infrastructure damage. Cross-tactic moderate (T0879 in impact vs SPARTA EX-0017 execution); cross-domain (orbital kinetic damage vs OT-environment property damage). Notable: this is a defensible match unlike MITRE Enterprise where EX-0017 family was empty — ICS T0879 explicitly addresses physical-property damage.
Direct-ascent ASAT physically destroys the target spacecraft — equivalent to T0879 'Damage to Property' at cross-tactic and cross-domain level (kinetic destruction of equipment/infrastructure).
Co-orbital ASAT physically damages the target spacecraft (intercept, contact, fragmentation); T0879 'Damage to Property' covers the property-damage outcome at cross-tactic and cross-domain level.
T0879 'Damage to Property' addresses adversary-caused damage to infrastructure/equipment; SPARTA EX-0018 'Non-Kinetic Physical Attack' parent covers DEW/EMP/HPM physical damage — equivalent property-damage outcome. Cross-tactic moderate (impact vs execution); cross-domain.
EMP physically damages spacecraft electronics; T0879 'Damage to Property' covers electronic-property damage at cross-tactic and cross-domain level.
High-Powered Laser physically damages spacecraft optics/sensors/structure; T0879 'Damage to Property' covers this property-damage outcome at cross-tactic and cross-domain level.
High-Powered Microwave physically damages spacecraft electronics via RF coupling; T0879 'Damage to Property' covers the RF-induced damage outcome at cross-tactic and cross-domain level.
T0879 'Damage to Property' is in MITRE ICS impact tactic and addresses adversary actions causing damage and destruction of property to infrastructure/equipment; SPARTA IMP-0004 'Degradation' (permanent partial impairment) is the parent-level spacecraft equivalent. Tactic and activity align directly.
T0879 'Damage to Property' is the impact-tactic ATT&CK ICS technique for permanent property/equipment damage; SPARTA IMP-0005 'Destruction' (permanent total loss including spacecraft destruction) maps directly. Tactic and activity align.
Cite as SafeMode Space, mitre-attack-ics T0879.