North Korea Denies Responsibility for Sony Attack, Warns Against Retaliation

jones_supa writes: A North Korean official said that the secretive regime wants to mount a joint investigation with the United States to identify who was behind the cyber attack against Sony Pictures. An unnamed spokesman of the North Korean foreign ministry was quoted by the country's state news agency, KCNA, describing U.S. claims they were behind the hack as "slander." "As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident," the official said, according to Agence France-Presse. Both the FBI and President Barack Obama have said evidence was uncovered linking the hack to to North Korea, but some experts have questioned the evidence tying the attack to Pyongyang. Meanwhile, reader hessian notes that 2600: The Hacker Quarterly has offered to let the hacker community distribute The Interview for Sony. It's an offer Sony may actually find useful, since the company is now considering releasing the movie on a "different platform." Reader Nicola Hahn warns that we shouldn't be too quick to accept North Korea as the bad guy in this situation: Most of the media has accepted North Korea's culpability with little visible skepticism. There is one exception: Kim Zetter at Wired has decried the evidence as flimsy and vocally warns about the danger of jumping to conclusions. Surely we all remember high-ranking, ostensibly credible, officials warning about the smoking gun that comes in the form of a mushroom cloud? This underscores the ability of the agenda-setting elements of the press to frame issues and control the acceptable limits of debate. Some would even say that what's happening reveals tools of modern social control (PDF). Whether or not they're responsible for the attack, North Korea has now warned of "serious consequences" if the U.S. takes action against them for it.

Comments

of course it wasn't NK

[Anonymous Coward]

US gov't never passes on an opportunity to fabricate stories which make their foes look bad (Russia, Syria, Iran, Lybia, Venezuela, etc)

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[Fwipp]

Thank you. I don't know why so much of Slashdot seems to be taking the obvious "it was NK omg" story at face value, even after NK explicitly denied it. They take credit for things they've never done - if they'd hacked Sony successfully, of course they'd be bragging about it.

Re: of course it wasn't NK

[O('_')O_Bush]

Except if your view was thought through to its conclusion, the NK would have claimed to have hacked Sony whether they did or did not actually do so. The fact that they regularly lie about what they have and haven't done makes any face-saving claim dubious.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[Frosty Piss]

I don't know why so much of Slashdot seems to be taking the obvious "it was NK omg" story at face value, even after NK explicitly denied it.

Ah yes, because the North Koreans have a history of being so honest and forthright?

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[fustakrakich]

Funny how nobody gave Afghanistan the same benefit of the doubt, and with just as flimsy of 'evidence'. Surrounded by a bunch of damn hypocrites.

And watch what happens now...

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[reikae]

They should have confessed because then they'd be off the hook.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[jbolden]

The reason is the USA government has a pretty good track record of not blaming foreign countries for stuff they didn't do. Meanwhile US opponents have a long history of denying involvement when they were. Comparing what is know 10 years later is pretty close to what you get from blindly believing the USA government on culpability.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[_merlin]

Oh what? They blamed Iraq for plenty of things they didn't do, and they've never presented evidence for all the claims of cyber attacks from Russia and China.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[Frosty Piss]

Really, it's Regal Cinemas that's spineless. Sony didn't have much choice once so many theaters pulled out

Sony has a lot of pull with theatre chains, who need Sony to push the "blockbusters" their direction first. If Sony had wanted this film in theatres, it would have been in theatres.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[SacredNaCl]

Did No Such Agency ever publicly take credit for the Iranian centrifuge debacle?!? No? So I wouldn't expect NK to do it either if they did.

 

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[AmiMoJo]

The Americans are not exactly known of their honesty either. Both are equally liable to be lying.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[Hognoxious]

The reason is the USA government has a pretty good track record of not blaming foreign countries for stuff they didn't do.

I think your Maine premise is flawed.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[Frosty Piss]

The Americans are not exactly known of their honesty either. Both are equally liable to be lying.

Apperently we Americans are better at it, as *everything* coming out of North Korea lands as bombastic humor.

Re:of course it wasn't NK

[AmiMoJo]

Apperently we Americans are better at it, as *everything* coming out of North Korea lands as bombastic humor.

Believe it or not, most of what comes out of America sounds the same to the rest of the world. It's been toned down since Obama got in, from the height of the War on Terror (TM). More generally all the rhetoric about the US being the greatest country on earth and the daily pledge of allegiance that school kids are forced to recite seems awfully similar to what certain other countries do, which is probably no surprise as much of it was originally a over-reaction to Soviet propaganda.

Incompetence vs Conspiracy

[Gim Tom]

Do not attribute to a conspiracy that which can be adequately explained by incompetence -- especially if you won't show your evidence of said conspiracy. The company that thought a Root Kit was a good idea does seems to be lacking something in the competence department.

Re:Incompetence vs Conspiracy

[ChipMonk]

Sony, the company that thought it would be a good idea to use other computers in ways the computers' owners wouldn't want, now finds others using Sony's computers in ways Sony doesn't want.

Karma's a bitch.

False Falg?

[jmd]

The more this unravels the more I smell false flag.

Re:False Falg?

[Frosty Piss]

Also how could you or I know whether there have been other demands or not?

The North Koreans have publically made demands with respect to this movie both before and after the hack. It's been in the news for awhile.

Re:False Falg?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sony.

This movie that was going to flop as unfunny... now is rated 10/10 on IMDB and would rake in millions should Sony release it in the next few weeks.

Re:False Falg?

[hey!]

One thing every thoughtful fan of the mystery story knows is that in real life, motivation tells you very little about who done what. That's because *most* people, when faced with a problem, don't even consider murder. Murderers are not typical people.

The same goes for hackers. When companies first started putting Internet connections back in the 90s in I would explain that they need to start taking steps to secure their networks, and almost without exception the response was "Why? Why would anyone be interested in hacking *us*?" And I had to explain that the Internet was accessible to *everyone*, including people whose motivations and ways of thinking would make no sense to them.

Motivation may have limited use in perhaps identifying some possible suspects, but it's not probative of anything. You can't rule anyone out or in based on what you think their motivations are or should be. The only way to know that somebody has done something is by following the chain of evidence that leads to some concrete action they've taken.

Re:False Falg?

[Charliemopps]

You know... I was pretty sure it was NK as well...
But it's really getting fishy.

For example, why was the CIA meeting with Sony just a month prior to this happening?
http://radaronline.com/exclusi...

And it even specifically says the talks were about Sony and other studios helping them with, what can only be described as, propaganda.

Something... and I don't know what... but something, is up.

Re:False Falg?

[Frosty Piss]

For example, why was the CIA meeting with Sony just a month prior to this happening? [link to Radaronline.com]

Ah, yes, Radaronline. An excellent journalistic news site right up there with the Washington Post and the New York Times, especially if you are interested in the latest buzz about Kim Kardashian's ass, and what Justin Bieber is up to. It's my "go-to" site for factual news about international politics!

Re:False Falg?

[ShanghaiBill]

I'm not sure that's good for North Korea.

Sure it is. NK's goal is not to "get" Sony. It is to maintain the reputation of their leader as a psychopathic kook. This will strengthen their hand in future negotiations over important issues. If you act reasonable, your adversaries will insist on an outcome that is "fair". But if act like an irrational psychopath, your adversaries will settle for any outcome that is even halfway sane. The Kim dynasty has been using this strategy since 1950, and it has worked well for them.

Re:False Falg?

[daniel142005]

Thinking the same... I mean Target was hit, Home Depot, Chase, etc.. No one made a big deal about it until the MAFIAA got hit. Now it's suddenly a cyber 9/11? Sony is the only one to blame here.. They have been hit MULTIPLE times and still failed to secure their networks. It did however shed a lot of light on the questionable practices they're using to attack the internet and Google.

It's kind of sad, but I'm more inclined to believe North Korea than our own government on this one. Sony isn't even in the US... It's primarily based out of Japan. Where is Japan's response? They've barely even mentioned the incident. Honestly, I wouldn't even put it past Sony or another MAFIAA member doing it. A cyber 9/11 would benefit them in the sense that it would provide the fear-mongering to enact exactly what Sony wants.

Re:Whether it was NK or not doesn't matter

[kruach aum]

I used Freedom with a capital F as a technical term. Actual freedom would be very good, as North Korea is one of the worst places in the world. Things like the 3-generation punishment policy, widespread famine, an insane ruler, prison camps, etc. etc. should just not exist anywhere on earth. However, my point was that the US does whatever it wants, not that NK isn't a horrible place.

And OJ offers a reward to find the real killer

[lurker412]

My first reaction was that it was like OJ Simpson offering a reward to find the real killer. But then I took off my snarky goggles and on reflection, I realized that given government, corporate and media interests and manipulation there's no way in hell we'll ever know the truth. Sad but true, I'm afraid.

Re:And OJ offers a reward to find the real killer

[BarbaraHudson]

North Korea has already said that they approve of the hacks. Now they want to "join in the investigation" and if they're refused, "something bad will happen?"

North Korea needs to be told in plain language "Get bent!" Whether they were the source or not is now irrelevant, given their latest threat.

There is no way that anyone else will let North Korea see how their intelligence service works, same as they don't show theirs to anyone else.

Re:And OJ offers a reward to find the real killer

[avgapon]

Do you work for RT?

Re:And OJ offers a reward to find the real killer

[AmiMoJo]

On the other hand, we know for certain that the US has launched cyber attacks against other countries. They hit Iran with Struxnet, for example, and are suspected of various other attacks. We know that the NSA has infested many, many systems. We know that their British partner agency, GCHQ, hacks other countries on a regular basis.

Any complaints from the US are at best hypocrisy. It's hard to believe US intelligence after all the lies of the past, so I'd say it's equally likely that North Korea is telling the truth. Would be a nice bit of misdirection by the hackers.

It will be interesting to see what the US does. Any retaliation would open it up to similar retaliation over its own hacking.

I doubt it was North Korea

[Todd Knarr]

For one thing, if North Korea was capable of this sort of hack they've got more tempting targets to use that capability on. And it's just a bit too convenient, coming on the heels of a disappointing performance by Sony, for SPE to suddenly get an excuse to get out from under another apparent flop. My bet is the hack's just another in a long string of breaches by the usual gangs of malcontents, aided and abetted by corporate obliviousness to security, and various parties are just taking advantage of superficial connections for their own reasons.

Re:I doubt it was North Korea

[Tablizer]

if North Korea was capable of this sort of hack they've got more tempting targets to use that capability on.

Such as? A commercial company is probably a far easier target than a military institution. And maybe some of the military breaches we've heard about were from them. Many breaches are not even made public.

Re:I doubt it was North Korea

[radarskiy]

"more tempting targets"

You need to consider not just how tempting the target is but what the potential repercussions are. Sony does not have a military force, they're going to be distracted by the blow back from the leaked material, and there are limited civil venues where they could pursue action. Even if there is overwhelming evidence that NK did do this I predict there no meaningful consequences.

Country that forbids use to internet

[postmortem]

is cyber superpower?
I am not buying it. They could have smart people that would make talented hackers. But good luck finding them because they most likely don't even own a computer.

Re:Country that forbids use to internet

[oodaloop]

They forbid internet usage to the masses, but have a top notch cyber military unit in China. This has been known for ages, and there's multiple articles on /. about NK's cyber capabilities. Try to keep up.

Re:Country that forbids use to internet

[postmortem]

You missed my point. They may appear that they have a decent cyber unit. But we know from their missile tests that were utter failure that is probably more than a wish than a reality.

In US, NSA hires talented hackers/programmers, as their skills are already established. For that to work, they need all population to have access to the internet.. So how does NK does same when they forbid the internet to the masses? Even if they had prospective talent, they would not be able to recognize them.

"serious consequences"???

[mark-t]

Weren't those the exact same words that were used against Sony?

official statement

[Trepidity]

The North Korean news agency mentioned (KCNA) has the statement on their website. It seems to be a weird webapp that doesn't allow direct linking, but you can find it if you click on "English" at the top, then scroll down a bit to "DPRK Foreign Ministry Rejects U.S. Accusation against Pyongyang over Cyber Attack". Or just look here:

Pyongyang, December 20 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Saturday as regards the U.S. accusation against the DPRK over a cyber attack on a movie company in the U.S.:

Obama, Kerry and other high-ranking authorities of the U.S. cried out for sort of counter-measure Friday, claiming that the results of the investigation into the cyber-attack on the Sony Pictures Entertainment proved that the DPRK was behind it. They, without presenting any specific evidence, are asserting they can not open it to public as it is "sensitive information."

Clear evidence is needed to charge a sovereign state with a crime. Reference to the past cyber-attacks quite irrelevant with the DPRK and a string of presumptive assertions such as "similarity" and "repetition" can convince no one.

The U.S. act of daring charge the DPRK with a crime based on absurd "investigation results" reveals its inveterate bitterness toward the DPRK. This is proven, as in the recent cyber-attack, by the recent urge made by a man called a "human rights special envoy" of the U.S. State Department to movie-makers that they should harass the north Korean government and keep alive scenes hurting the dignity of the its supreme leadership. The U.S. ruling quarters are working hard to divert the criticism of its administration to the DPRK as the plan of putting on show the anti-DPRK film on Christmas Day canceled due to the controversial cyber-attack, causing an uproar in the U.S.

We will never pardon those undesirable elements keen on hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK. In case we retaliate against them, we will target with legitimacy those responsible for the anti-DPRK acts and their bases, not engaging in terrorist attack aimed at the innocent audience in cinemas. The army of the DPRK has the will and ability to do so.

The U.S. State Secretary is going to justify the production of the movie hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of a sovereign state while trumpeting about the freedom of expression. He should know that there is punishment of libel in enforcement of international law.

We propose the U.S. side conducting a joint investigation into the case, given that Washington is slandering Pyongyang by spreading unfounded rumor. We have a way to prove that we have nothing to do with the case without resorting to torture as what the CIA does.

The U.S. should bear in mind that it will face serious consequences in case it rejects our proposal for joint investigation and presses for what it called countermeasure while finding fault with the DPRK.

Re:Whether it was NK or not doesn't matter

[kruach aum]

Except that English does work like that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...

It must suck when foreigners speak your native language better than you do.

Translation:

[jd2112]

We didn't hack you. but if you retaliate we will hack you again!

U.S. stands by its assertion

[jones_supa]

Here's an update: North Korea denies hacking Sony, U.S. stands by its assertion

The FBI said technical analysis of malicious software used in the Sony attack found links to malware that "North Korean actors" had developed and found a "significant overlap" with "other malicious cyber activity" previously tied to Pyongyang. But it otherwise gave scant details on how it concluded that North Korea was behind the attack.

Re:We should send an independent UN inspector

[ihtoit]

o.0 didn't NK threaten terrible consequences after the last time he was unleashed?

And that's Hans Brix, you plick. :)

No way is this a Sony PR stunt

[SethJohnson]

I fully agree and would also point out that this hack has resulted in HD bootlegs of unreleased sony movies being posted to bittorrent. Oh, and Brad Pitt's "Fury."

The top leadership at Sony Pictures is about to be booted out of their jobs and are so tainted that no other studio will hire them. I don't think this was their idea of a way to promote a film.