The United States government (FBI) rapidly concluded that it was
North Korea that had hacked into Sony’s computers in retaliation for producing the
picture, “The Interview,” which spoofs the leader of that country, Kim Jong-un.
Now many cyber-security firms have expressed reservations about that conclusion
… saying that it more likely was a combination of a disgruntled ex-employee colluding
with a hacking group … see:
Politico Analysis. This conclusion seems supported by additional hacks into Sony’s Playstation
servers on Christmas day by a group self-labeled the “Lizard Squad.”
If it eventually turns out that the original hack was NOT performed
by the North Koreans, the United States intelligence community has egg on its
face (again) … which then spawns three possibly serious consequences:
1) President
Obama, in his very public rush to judgment in this case, may end up being made to
look as foolish as George W. Bush. (Remember how many years the media drumbeat
went on … accusing Bush 43 of lying to the world about Iraq’s WMDs?)
2) It
is fairly obvious that the United States, in retaliation, has crippled the
North Korean Internet … twice. This is a serious piece of cyber-aggression
against an unstable government that likely possesses atomic weapons. Talk about
pulling the tiger’s tail.
3) In
taking down North Korea’s Internet, I am certain that the U.S. cyber counter
forces have revealed to the Chinese and Russians technical capabilities that might
have been left for more serious cyber-attacks against this country’s
infrastructure. To me, it is questionable whether such counter-measures might now work
when they are more critically needed.
Will the American media now excoriate luau-boy for his
too-quick accusation of North Korea in this matter? Hmmm?
