So if a government shut down US airports for 72 hours but resulting in no loss of life, should we just sit back and do nothing? A risk to human life isn't the only threshold that determines retaliation. A risk to economic activity is just as provocative as physical violence. How about if they attacked the power grid? A huge number of companies's businesses depend on services like github. Do we just hold hands and choose to pray for a solution or do we hit the perpetrators in the gut? If the Chinese are behind it, we should immediately start seizing their US assets until such time as they put an end to the nonsense. If the Chinese can thwart Google, they sure as hell have the means to stop a cyber attack from their soil: even if they are directly the ones doing it. Alternatively, their cables could be cut (there are only about 7 that connect China with the outside Internet.) if someone is spraying you with a firehouse, cutting off their water supply is a just and reasonable response.