That could involve planting false information on the Web to create a panic or taking down crucial computers in the financial or communications sectors.
P). "There are inherent long-run risks for any company with high exposure to shifting consumer preferences in the rapidly evolving technology and wireless communications sectors," wrote Gerald Granovsky, a Moody's analyst.
Like Mr. Kriens, Mr. Smith is betting that his company's focus on a specific and potentially lucrative niche will allow it to outmaneuver titans like Lucent and Cisco that are trying to span a variety of communications sectors.
Mr. Rattner was a financial reporter for The New York Times who later entered investment banking, becoming a deal maker in the media and communications sectors for the likes of Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley and Lazard.
As the media and communications sectors come under the control of a small coterie of huge companies, AT&T's cable unit was a powerful lure to companies trying to expand their scope.
Advanced Chemical Etching is deeply embedded in the global supply chain network, providing intricate, thin, metal components to major manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, health, energy and communications sectors.
