Obama: North Korea hacked Sony, USA will respond in kind

[Roma_Victrix]

U.S. attributes Sony attack to North Korea

Federal investigators on Friday accused North Korea of carrying out a computer attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, blaming the Stalinist government for an intrusion that exposed corporate e-mails, wiped out computer data and underlined the cyber capabilities of one of the United States’ top adversaries.

American officials had privately said that they believe North Korea was behind the hacking incident. But the new claim marks a significant escalation — the first time that the United States has openly laid blame on a foreign government for a destructive cyberattack against an American corporation.

“The FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions,” the bureau said in a statement, adding that the conclusion was based in part on a “technical analysis” of the malware used in the attack, which “revealed links to other malware that the FBI knows North Korean actors previously developed.”

The attack came in apparent retaliation for Sony’s planned Christmas Day release of “The Interview,” a comedy built around the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The company decided earlier this week to cancel the movie’s release in the face of hackers’ threats.

President Obama, during an end-of-year news conference Friday, criticized Sony for that decision, saying he believed it was a “mistake.”

“We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,” Obama said. “Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like or news reports that they don’t like.

Obama said he wished Sony had “spoken to me first,” adding: “I would have told them, ‘Do not get into a pattern where you get intimidated by these criminal attacks.’ ”

The Sony attack marked the first known intrusion by North Korea into private U.S. computer networks and was improbably effective: Not only were the hackers able to penetrate Sony’s system and expose internal e-mails, but they cowed one of Hollywood’s biggest entertainment firms into pulling the movie.

Intelligence officials “know very specifically who the attackers are,” said one individual familiar with the investigation, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing.

If you're interested, you can read the rest of the article at the Washington Post. Also, to moderators, feel free to lock the thread I made about this in the Thema Devia a little while ago, which was speculative about North Korea's role. This thread belongs in the Mudpit, because we now have the President of the United States weighing in on the matter and promising retaliation. For those of you unfamiliar with the movie (starring Seth Rogen and James Franco) that has apparently rustled Kim Jong-un's feathers so much for depicting his assassination by a covert CIA plot, here is a poster:



It's probably a terrible and poorly-scripted comedy, but will ultimately become a cult classic because North Korea has done so well in highlighting it. It's the kind of PR anyone would want, aside from the fact the movie has already been leaked and will now be withdrawn from theaters nationwide. We'll see what Sony does about DVD distribution, though.

So what do you guys think? I had my doubts that North Korea had anything to do with this because I honestly underestimate their capabilities.



However, that assumption could be wrong, especially since the FBI is saying otherwise, now that they've pinpointed the similar malware originating from North Korea. Personally I think Sony did make a bad business decision, because caving in to terrorists and their threats is like giving a cookie to a mouse: it's going to want more after that, preferably a tall glass of milk, too. Or in this case, as Obama points out, other concessions regarding films, documentaries, or other media. There's no end to the demands if they are rewarded in the first place.

[chilon]

U.S. attributes Sony attack to North Korea



If you're interested, you can read the rest of the article at the Washington Post. Also, to moderators, feel free to lock the thread I made about this in the Thema Devia a little while ago, which was speculative about North Korea's role. This thread belongs in the Mudpit, because we now have the President of the United States weighing in on the matter and promising retaliation. For those of you unfamiliar with the movie (starring Seth Rogen and James Franco) that has apparently rustled Kim Jong-un's feathers so much for depicting his assassination by a covert CIA plot, here is a poster:



It's probably a terrible and poorly-scripted comedy, but will ultimately become a cult classic because North Korea has done so well in highlighting it. It's the kind of PR anyone would want, aside from the fact the movie has already been leaked and will now be withdrawn from theaters nationwide. We'll see what Sony does about DVD distribution, though.

So what do you guys think? I had my doubts that North Korea had anything to do with this because I honestly underestimate their capabilities.



However, that assumption could be wrong, especially since the FBI is saying otherwise, now that they've pinpointed the similar malware originating from North Korea. Personally I think Sony did make a bad business decision, because caving in to terrorists and their threats is like giving a cookie to a mouse: it's going to want more after that, preferably a tall glass of milk, too. Or in this case, as Obama points out, other concessions regarding films, documentaries, or other media. There's no end to the demands if they are rewarded in the first place.

they really wouldn't need any special hardware for this just some high level knowledge which anyone can really learn they don't have to be from a rich country. It was young Iranians that cracked win7 first if I rember correct

that said its a shame Sony won't be releasing this yet I wanted to see it ,I'm sure leaked copies will come out

[Roma_Victrix]

they really wouldn't need any special hardware for this just some high level knowledge which anyone can really learn they don't have to be from a rich country. It was young Iranians that cracked win7 first if I rember correct

that said its a shame Sony won't be releasing this yet I wanted to see it ,I'm sure leaked copies will come out

Right, but I still think this whole fiasco probably says less about North Koreans' malware engineering capabilities and more about Sony's lax cyber security. Seriously, this is just embarrassing.

[Phier]

Does this mean we are going to hack Sony too?

Right, but I still think this whole fiasco probably says less about North Koreans' malware engineering capabilities and more about Sony's lax cyber security. Seriously, this is just embarrassing.

A few weeks ago an Egyptian programer showed paypal how you could hack their banking site using python. Added even if somehow North Korea has no one who can hack, they have enough money to pay someone to do it if they wanted to.

[chilon]

Does this mean we are going to hack Sony too?

A few weeks ago an Egyptian programer showed paypal how you could hack their banking site using python. Added even if somehow North Korea has no one who can hack, they have enough money to pay someone to do it if they wanted to.

From what I read it took specialized software written specifically for Sony's system for them to hack in. That's not a "Script kiddie" level of hacking. That takes someone who knows their . Sony might not be the NSA but its not like hopping on your neighbor's unsecured WiFi either.

The idea for that movie was dumb, the actors are bad and the director a fiasco. North Koreans made a favour for mankind.

Bit harsh.

Do you support a tin pot dictator using threats and cyber attacks to bully the makers of a satire movie to not release it?

[Phier]

From what I read it took specialized software written specifically for Sony's system for them to hack in. That's not a "Script kiddie" level of hacking. That takes someone who knows their . Sony might not be the NSA but its not like hopping on your neighbor's unsecured WiFi either.

With NK's Chinese connections, I think they could access more then "script kiddies".

[Sir Adrian]

Bit harsh.

Do you support a tin pot dictator using threats and cyber attacks to bully the makers of a satire movie to not release it?

The movie really was and it really is a good thing that it did not come out. I think it's a tad bit fallacious to equate saying that Fat Asso, I mean Dear Leader, made the world a solid even if he did not mean to with blindly supporting him.

What I don't understand is the American public's outrage. Sony is not an American company, the film was not made in America and the main actors are Canadians with Israeli citizenship.

[Yayattasa]

Bit harsh.

Do you support a tin pot dictator using threats and cyber attacks to bully the makers of a satire movie to not release it?

It depends. When it's "the movie that should not be", yeah, maybe. The movie was of really bad taste: attempting to kill a person still alive? They really thought it would go well?

[Yayattasa]

The idea for that movie was dumb, the actors are bad and the director a fiasco. North Koreans made a favour to mankind.

[caratacus]

And I was thinking those Japanese never surrender.

It seemed a very poor movie in terrible taste and was probably pulled so as not to disappoint expectations given all the publicity the Great leader has given it.

Nevertheless it does point to how any conflict in South East Asia would probably begin with some kind of massive cyber attack and its something that Washington, Tokyo and Seoul should be taking very seriously

[Trotzig/Konstante]

Yet another ridiculous capitulation by those who profess to defend freedom of speech.

[mrmouth]

I wouldn't rule out cooperation from anyone at odds with the US. Putin is welcoming his little North Korean friend next month. That must be embarrassing as all hell for any Russian with their head attached correctly.

What I dont understand is why/how they are actually seeing this a physical security issue that requires them to cancel all manner of press events in fear of physical attack. North Korea threatens all manner of ridiculous and somehow this must have the FBI recommending that they just not make targets out of certain people and public events.

[Sir Adrian]

When dealing with a rabid psychopath it pays to be cautious. Granted, cancelling entire events is a tad excessive

[sabaku_no_gaara]

resident Obama, during an end-of-year news conference Friday, criticized Sony for that decision, saying he believed it was a “mistake.”

“We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,” Obama said. “Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don’t like or news reports that they don’t like.

Obama said he wished Sony had “spoken to me first,” adding: “I would have told them, ‘Do not get into a pattern where you get intimidated by these criminal attacks.’ ”

But when 1 muslim get's all angry about South park the network caves in, and no president stood up for South Park....

disgusting hypocrisy

[the_mango55]

But when 1 muslim get's all angry about South park the network caves in, and no president stood up for South Park....

disgusting hypocrisy

Well first of all comparing a single episode of a cable cartoon sitcom to a major Hollywood movie is spurious at best.

Second, nobody knew the episod was going to be censored until it actually aired. It didn't dominate news cycles like the Sony hack and overall just wasn't that important.

[tarvu]

Heard the interview with the head of Sony USA on NPR tonight, he said that they do plan to still release it but need a distribution partner. They are reaching out to VOD and digital distributors (likely Amazon and Netflix) but those companies still have concerns over whether they can withstand a similar hack. Hillariously when the NPR interviewer asked them why they couldn't release it over playstation he stumbled and then said "for something like this we need a consortium of partners to release with". I guess he couldn't say "Are you crazy? That place is hack central!".

He also said it wasn't a conventional attack and that "90% of corporations in the US could not have withstood such an attack" according to the US government review and the company they hired to review it... well I thought Sony was in the top 10% of corporations they certainly have the wealth to be.

I'm sure it will be released eventually, ironically if it doesn't it will no doubt be leaked and widely pirated and there is nothing the North Korean government can do about that.

[Sir Adrian]

Terrorist? Which terrorists? You can't seriously label a government as terrorist. That would go against the definition employed by the US in the past couple of the decades, an also mean that it willingly supported terrorists.

He is indeed American. I stand corrected.

[Trotzig/Konstante]

It's still freedom of speech. It must be defended.

[caratacus]

It's still freedom of speech. It must be defended.

Well many countries don't recognise the concept of freedom of speech and it's hardly surprising that the Glorious leader" will appreciate a movie based on his assassination. Look at China's regulation of the internet or the Turkish president's attempt to prevent any Turk viewing reports accusing him of corruption

However the issue runs a lot deeper than some dictator looking to censor something he disagrees with. It seems to me the very existence of the internet for the free sharing of information is under threat from many quarters and that its use for malicious purposes will only serve to transform it into a more highly controlled and regulated system.

Criminals are using ever increasing sophisticated techniques to gain access to servers and blackmail businesses and countries are using the same techniques to steal information from others and in some cases inflict damage. The internet is probably one of the greatest inventions in the 20th century and like the splitting of the atom, its misuse by mankind can only lead to its degradation. With North Korea seemingly trying to achieve both.

[Condottiere 40K]

Sony Entertainment has bigger institutional problems, ignited by that hack, so shutting down the movie that may have instigated the crisis which almost no theatre chain wanted to screen seemed an easy step, in order to concentrate in resolving their other immediate issues.

But it's likely to be released digitally, though scuttlebutt says that no one is fighting for the rights.