The Cyber War Has Begun
22/12/14 06:00![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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talkpolitics
We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces. - Carl Sagan
By now everybody has heard of the cyber attack on Sony Pictures, allegedly from North Korea in retaliation for the Seth Rogen and James Franco farce “The Interview”. The entire corporation was caught up in this including detailed and damaging information on celebrities, intellectual property, privileged corporate information, current employees and former employees. There were 10 terabytes (about 10 trillion bytes) of information that was stolen. The damage is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Information can be restored from backups and insurance is covering at least some of the losses. Sony can still do business, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Despite the news media trying to assess the damage in digital information and dollar losses, there is something much bigger going on here. I am not going to compare it to the Hindenburg, the Lusitania, Pearl Harbor or the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center because no physical lives were lost. However, I think the malicious nature of this attack has shaped the composition of cyber war.
Security experts agree that there was nothing Sony could have done to mitigate this hack. The lives of those caught in the attack will forever be changed. We fell into an emotional and psychological paralysis as a result of this. There are innumerable questions that may never be answered, such as how is this information going to be ultimately used. Who is going to be getting this information? One of the most frightening is what is going to keep this from happening again?
I don’t think there is any better illustration of the psychological and emotional paralysis that has happened to us than the total abdication of leadership that occurred during this attack. Theater chains left the release decision to the theater owners, Sony left the release decision to the theater chains, and ultimately the POTUS claimed that the decision to pull the film from release by Sony Pictures was “a mistake”. This is unusual for me to say, but I think the decision by Sony Pictures was the most responsible under the circumstances and the administration from the Pentagon through the President was unprepared to respond to this attack.
Retaliation for this attack is going to be difficult, at best. North Korea has no civil internet structure so a counterattack would be useless. They are so isolated that sanctions would be ineffective. Bolstering South Korea’s military capabilities would be a somewhat mild response. About the only thing I can think of is to either beam “Team America: World Police” to every TV set in North Korea or electronically disable all of North Korea’s military defenses.
All I can imagine is that this is only the first volley in a series.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 12:20 (UTC)Obviously, one guy will be guilty of it all. [snark.]
Your description of North Korea makes me wonder how proportionate response can ever be made.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 14:34 (UTC)Your description of North Korea makes me wonder how proportionate response can ever be made.
Obama is well known for cautious, measured and incremental responses for international incidents. If anything, the business friendly Republicans will have the knee jerk responses. On the other hand, North Korea is well known for reckless saber rattling.
I'd be really surprised if whichever polity hacked Sony didn't at least have sets of plausible deniability cut-outs installed pretty-deep in the structure of the arrangement.
Obviously, one guy will be guilty of it all. [snark.]
Honestly, I don’t think you’re far off the mark. Any response to an American action is going to be assumed to come from Pyongyang, especially considering Kim’s big mouth. I would be very surprised if Russia, Iran and especially China don’t use this as political cover for their cyber hacking activity.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 15:28 (UTC)That is likely...Cui bono?
If we rule out NK, crazy conspiracy theory #1 could point to them....or Paramount.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 15:40 (UTC)That is likely...Cui bono?
If we rule out NK, crazy conspiracy theory #1 could point to them
That would seem like an awfully malicious attack from someone who relies on the US for military aid in the first place.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 16:08 (UTC)Cyber crime is not really trending as a weapon, only as a tool for theft of profitable data. I can only see this data profiting not only their major competitor, but anyone who wants to get into the business, but has no idea what the going rates are for their services, or who the contacts are in various departments and divisions.
If I was into something that I could sell to the movie industry here in Atlanta, I would be tempted hard to access some of that stolen data. But I wouldn't because it is not mine to use, it is stolen.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 16:27 (UTC)yes this is an interesting theory. Of all the entities, I can't see how PNK would benefit financially from such an attack on a Japanese company (Albeit the US division).
That’s what makes this such a malicious attack. There seems to be no consistent motive other than retribution for the movie. Besides, the historical imprints in the malware point to a state sponsored attack.
Cyber crime is not really trending as a weapon, only as a tool for theft of profitable data. I can only see this data profiting not only their major competitor, but anyone who wants to get into the business, but has no idea what the going rates are for their services, or who the contacts are in various departments and divisions.
Cyber attacks aren’t trending as a weapon the same as the use of nuclear arms aren’t trending. The potential fallout and retaliation can be devastating. On the other hand, North Korea is just the kind of whack job that would do this kind of thing, especially considering their lack of civilian internet infrastructure.
If I was into something that I could sell to the movie industry here in Atlanta, I would be tempted hard to access some of that stolen data. But I wouldn't because it is not mine to use, it is stolen.
I doubt there is a corporation in America that could pull off the multipoint sophistication of this attack. Besides, the consequences would be overwhelming if an American organization or individual was the source of this attack.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 16:31 (UTC)here is a spiffy timeline http://www.reddit.com/tb/2pzsju
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 16:34 (UTC)I have no doubt that was looked into. The malware was also used on South Korean banks in the same manner.
(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 16:33 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22/12/14 17:46 (UTC)I for one am glad that you are posting more often. =)
I am always looking for an opportunity to give my computer a workout. I am between jobs right now, which is okay because I am semi-retired anyway. This the first time in 9 years I’ve had for R&R (or (I)ntercourse & (I)toxication depending on your perspective). So I’ve been posting, especially because the US domestic landscape is so target rich.