As good terrorists know, the key to success isn't the number of people you kill or the strategic efficacy of your attack. Rather, the object of competent terrorists is to inflict paralyzing fear on the enemy.
Terrorism is as much about the bluster of propaganda as it is about violence.
In many respects, hackers aren't much different. And the strategy for dealing with them is the same. Hackers may not carry guns or attempt bombings, but they possess the terrorist's desire to control others. Whether you're planting a bomb in a place where it is least expected or finding a back door into a corporate computer system, the adrenaline rush is the same. In both cases, the immediate response to these actions is beyond proportion to the damage actually done.