Think North Korea hacked Sony? Think about this

[Jesus Malverde]

North Korea or not? There’s still a lot we don’t know about the attack on Sony Pictures and those behind it.

After two weeks of investigations, anonymous government officials told some reporters and politicians on Wednesday that North Korea was behind the attacks. But on Thursday, U.S. officials resisted making the same allegations in public and didn’t release any evidence to back up the anonymous claims.

North Korean involvement is certainly possible. After all, defectors have spoken about North Korea’s cyber attack force and training. But it also plays into a popular and easy-to-believe narrative about the country.

There certainly appears to be circumstantial evidence, but it could be just that. So before calling case closed, here are some reasons to be wary, at least until some evidence is made public.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2861492/think-north-korea-hacked-sony-think-about-this.html

[CJCRANE]

1. IMO it might have been intended as a boost to the cyber-security business.

Those with inside knowledge have probably already invested in the relevant software companies.

[Downwinder]

6. Any increase in Sony futures trading?

[Ykcutnek]

2. I don't think anything. I KNOW they did.

An FBI investigation linked the malware, infrastructure and techniques a group of hackers called "Guardians of Peace" used in the Sony attack to previous North Korean cyberattacks. The North Korean-backed hackers broke into Sony's servers, published private emails and information and threatened to attack movie theaters screening "The Interview," a comedy film about an assassination plot on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The official report that North Korea was behind one of the largest and disruptive cyberattacks on a major company confirms what most already suspected throughout the past few weeks, though the larger question -- how will the United States respond -- remained unanswered.

U.S. officials also tell CNN the hackers routed the attack through servers in countries from Asia, Europe and Latin America, even some in the U.S.

The hackers used common DNS masking techniques to make it look like it was coming from those places, but the National Security Agency and FBI were able to track it back to North Korea.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/19/politics/fbi-north-korea-responsible-sony/index.html

[CJCRANE]

3. You know what you read on CNN. nt

[okaawhatever]

5. How about BBC? They printed the same story.

FBI blames North Korea for Sony hack

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30555997

[CJCRANE]

8. Just because something is printed by CNN or even all of the news agencies doesn't make it true.

I don't have any specific beef against CNN, but they just report what other people say.

We still have to verify the information, not just take it on trust.

[bemildred]

18. News media, one and all, are business enterprises.

They are there to make money, not to ensure you are well-informed, that is your job.

[joeglow3]

9. Why are so many here so quick to defend North Korea?

[CJCRANE]

11. Looking for the facts is not defending anyone.

We've been down this road before with people being accused of being "Saddam lovers" during the Bush era, Gadaffi apologists etc. etc.

[joeglow3]

12. So, what are your facts to support it was the cyber security business?

[CJCRANE]

14. We have no way of knowing what the facts are at this stage.

I didn't accuse the cybersecurity business. That's just my hunch on how these things play out.

As we've seen in these kinds of situations, it takes years for the facts to come out.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Yes you did, you also accused people of having bought relevant investments in advance. Your words:

"IMO it might have been intended as a boost to the cyber-security business.

Those with inside knowledge have probably already invested in the relevant software companies."

So why do you get to foist unsupported theory but those who actually think North Korea is responsible are not allowed their opinion? Why would your 'hunch' about how 'these things' work be any more valid that CNN's or BBC or FBI? Anyone actually practicing the dubious eye for news and opinion you affect would not listen to your unfounded opinions and would in fact questions the reasons for them. Which is what is happening to you, the OP and others who seem to be invested in the innocence of North Korea. Deal with it.

[CJCRANE]

21. That doesn't mean the cybersecurity business did it and neither am I restricting your free speech.nt

[951-Riverside]

16. Hey! Are you a commie or a terrorist sympathizer CJCRANE?

Askin' questions kinda makes ya one.





*sigh* ...its 2002-2003 all over again.

People just want to be part of the winning team I suppose so they shut off their brains, blindly follow whatever the team leader says without question and smear anyone who dare question anything.

I don't know whats going on here but the last there was a major attack on the US a bunch of innocent people go tortured and held without trial, the government started collecting massive amounts of data on their own people and the police got a bunch of mwrap tanks so, yeah I don't blame or fault anyone for asking questions or being suspicious others motives.

[NewDeal_Dem]

22. +1. Who lost? The american people, the iraqui people and their leadership, etc etc

It's always the people who lose, and sometimes their out of favor leaders.

[Downwinder]

17. Keeping an open mind.

It was not North Korea that told me Iraq was involved in 9/11.

[okaawhatever]

4. +100 nt

[okaawhatever]

7. This is your second post defending NK. Why is it so hard for you to believe that an evil

dictatorship like NK would launch a cyber attack to stop a movie that shows the killing of their "dear leader"?

[CJCRANE]

10. Defending the truth is more important.

For example, those who didn't believe the reports of Iraqi WMD or links to Al Qaeda weren't defending Saddam. They were defending the facts.

[2naSalit]

13. +1

[bemildred]

15. +2. nt

[LanternWaste]

24. What specific truth are you then defending?

What specific truth in regards to Sony and North Korea are you then defending?

[CJCRANE]

28. I'm defending the right to be skeptical. Allowing ourselves to be spoonfed information

with no independent thought helps nobody. We saw that in the Bush era.

Trust if you want to, but verify.

[arcane1]

23. PC World is "defending" them? Looks like they are just trying to get the truth.

Why is it so hard to wait for actual evidence?

[pintobean]

19. I miss Hannah Bell/HiPointDem

[FSogol]

25. LOL.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

26. +100 ... n/t

[Sunlei]

27. Sony can release the movie free, no strings attached. They're going to write off the losses anyway.

I hate the idea our Gov. creates a 'CYBERWAR' that will cost Americans more billions of our Federal money

[spanone]

29. the President came out today at his press conference and said it was north korea...speculation over.

i doubt he would pronounce this to the world if he didn't have some substantial proof.