US Links North Korea To Sony Hacking

schwit1 writes Speaking off the record, senior intelligence officials have told the New York Times, CNN, and other news agencies that North Korea was "centrally involved" in the hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is not known how the US government has determined that North Korea is the culprit, though it is known that the NSA has in the past penetrated North Korean computer systems. Previous analysis of the malware that brought down Sony Pictures' network showed that there were marked similarities to the tools used in last year's cyber-attack on South Korean media companies and the 2012 "Shamoon" attack on Saudi Aramco. While there was speculation that the "DarkSeoul" attack in South Korea was somehow connected to the North Korean regime, a firm link was never published.

Comments

Of course they do

[silviuc]

> It is not known how the US government has determined that North Korea is the culprit

Of course it's known. The same way they established that Iraq had chemical weapons. The method is known as "because we say so".

Speaking off the record

[mwvdlee]

Speaking off the record

Let me fix that for you...

Obviously speaking on the record, but with sufficient disclaimers to not be held legally accountable according to literal interpretation of the law

Re:Speaking off the record

[AmiMoJo]

We can't take any US intelligence or claims seriously any more. WMD? Torture? Rendition? Sorry bro, you lied too many times.

How do we know?

[DoofusOfDeath]

Why should we believe anything the "senior intelligence officials" tell us? They have a profound record of lying.

Re:I don't see the big deal here.

[DarkOx]

Right, I think that's the important difference here if there is one. In general I agree with the GP post cyber security should be the responsibility of the network/computer operator not the government. Costs should be born by the victims and their insurers; or by the perps when they can be identified and brought to justice as a general principle.

In this case though we have a threat of violence and terror on top of the simpler criminal matter. These guys are not threatening to just empty a few bank accounts and embarrass some more celebrities. They have moved from the realm of nuisance crimes to violent crimes and the state definitely has an interest preserving public safety.

As to how credible the threat is and should we be reacting to every threat to do violence out there, well I would say they have displayed at least enough capability to hack a major corporation that no doubt has a security team. They also have at least some financial resources backed by the DPRK. So this isn't an angsty 14 year old on facebook. Do I think they can project themselves into the physical world they way they claim, probably not, but its probably not worth risking that by just ignoring them entirely either.

Re:I don't see the big deal here.

[jellomizer]

If North Korea bombed Sony in Japan, It would be US responsibility.
The bigger issue here is that there is an other country fighting to prevent free speech. By taking down and *Threatening* them. This isn't some small set of wackos but an actual government. So it is a big deal.

I didn't want to see the movie, but now I do just to make a point.

Re:with what?

[_merlin]

Keep in mind, I can't recall if it was 2k11 or 2k12 but the Obama admin did not exactly dispute the pentagons view that "cyber" attacks could/should be viewed as an act of war. The "terror" threats against theaters have escalated things from a criminal matter, attack on a corporation, to a state matter attack on the public and order; therefore some kind of "response" is required. I am sure 0bama is trying to find a way to "do something" or appear to be without pissing off the Chinese.

So the US has committed acts of war against Germany by tapping their head of state's phone, etc. Or is it only an act of war when it's against US interests?

Re:with what?

[Cigarra]

What about Stuxnet? Is that an act of war that merits a "response" from Iran?