Yet, creating a disinformation campaign against a vital supplier generates tremendous friction and problems for the target. Creating such doubts often cripple more severely than a direct attack. The first step in protecting against these attacks is to accept their reality. Computer crime isn't just technical attacks on systems. They don't have to be traditional criminals either.
Unscrupulous competitors can fill the role nicely.
The hazard usually speaks to the psyche alone. All the investment in technological security may still leave a company very open to asymmetric attacks. So the security professional needs a broad sociopolitical perspective. Understanding psychological warfare and propaganda techniques will be most helpful. Reading John Keegan's Fields of Battle , especially the chapter on the American Civil War, will provide insight.