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The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

Posted July 14, 2009 3:23 PM

From Gizmodo:

Defense Tech has some interesting analysis of what happened with the North Korea's attacks on United States and South Korean government sites. Given Kim Jong Il's pathetic telecommunication infrastructure, their summary is both scary and kind of saddening. To start with, the U.S. Government ignored the attack warnings and has admitted that they didn't handle the successful Distributed Denial of Service attacks properly. They assumed our defenses were going to work perfectly against a bunch of North Korean bozos. They were wrong: The current U.S. defenses against cyber attack are woefully inadequate against even moderate level attacks as we have just experienced. Since these attacks were routed or launched through systems in 16 countries, they recommend for the government and friendly countries to sign agreements on cyber warfare defense as soon as possible. The most scary part is: How do you react to these attacks? The South Korean intelligence agency claims to have documents from the North Korean government ordering these electronic attacks. If that's the case, should the United States retaliate? Even while there is no smoke and physical mayhem, DDoS attacks can cause real damage in the virtual world and have the potential paralyze the economy. The problem here is that an counter-cyberattack will have little effect on North Korea, as they are barely communicated. The other option is to use real bombs to respond to cyberattacks, like we saw before. I don't know what would happen, but these North Korean dudes better get their act together, because the future doesn't look good at all.

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#1

Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/15/2009 8:56 AM

"The other option is to use real bombs to respond...". If things get to that point, I would suggest using a "small" neutron bomb air burst pulse, designed to maximize radiation to burn out most, if not all, of North Korean electronics. That should take care of near-future missile launches as well as internal military communications and government functions for the NKs for awhile, while not physically destroying buildings and infrastructure. Or some "unknown" force might drop a MOAB on the NK capital buildings where the government is meeting and listening to a harrange by their Great Leader! (That's a last resort...). How many US tanks were lost to modern Russian tank fire during the Gulf Wars? I would think the U.S. and Allies capable of reducing the NK military rather quickly if they want to play Korean War # 2. Especially if China woke up and realized that her "buddy", NK, were going to drag China into another war. China could put 1,000,000 men on the NK border in short time. If NK were so unwise as to use a nuke on SK, then NK should be reduced to ashes. Who knows? That might even register with Iran that they had better not screw around with the Free World any more.

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#3
In reply to #1

Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 7:33 AM

I'm going to give you a GA for this one, but you KNOW it ain't gonna happen with the bozos in power now.

The interesting thing here (I work in this field, daily, for the US DOD) is that I, and my coworkers "knew" that it was a matter of time before either NK or China did this (no proof, but gut feel and a LOT of prior knowledge of what could be done, and the certainty that they had the skills. The only thing not known was their resolve. NOW we know for sure!), and even in the last administration (yep, in fact my certainty goes clear back to 1998, when I first knew they were working on it. And I know for a fact that our Government knew it then, also. But it isn't cool to listen to a bunch of military enlisted technogeeks tell you stuff you don't want to hear, except from your equals.) we didn't do anything to prepare, except make noise, and plans. No real prep.

What worries ME about it is not that they are going to attack our desktops, laptops, data servers (they will, and that IS bad, no doubt about it) but that they'll apply the same attacks to our power, communication, plumbing, gas distro systems (in short, our "infrastructure", for which, read "way of life" control systems!!) and cripple us. And if they do, it will be a)soon, b)devastating, c)planned for the worst possible time, d)complete coverage of everything that enables us to live, and run our world, in the financial, military, governance, and survival sectors of it.

I'm not a doomsayer without a purpose. Consider how much money the NK government (and China is already in it, since we've also known for more than a decade that they are funding research in a BIG way into DDoS, and "infestation" (investment, as in "investment of your enemy, by your friends" would be a better word, as the stay behinds they've planted are numerous, and still around. Why not, they are cheap, ubiquitous, and who cares, when you can plant hundreds of thousands, if not millions, how many are still in place? Just keep planting them, and you'll never run out.) attacks, the NK bringing them to the brink of war won't even slow it down. They'll sacrifice the NK to win the big one. And us, as a farming village, would suit their purposes to a tee.

Hold you breath, and get ready. Christian Fundamentalists, who are the spoken worry of every left-wing government in the world, and accused often of wanting to start Armageddon on their own timing, are well aware they don't have to do that. The nations that want to flatten the field aren't going to do it by raising themselves to our level. They are going to do it by bringing us down to theirs.

And we aren't doing anything to preempt that.

Micah

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#4
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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 7:35 AM

Apologies. I'll take the hit for this one. I thought I was logged in already. And I don't believe in posting anonymously. Any shots to be taken, here I am.

Micah

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#5
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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 1:06 PM

I think I saw that movie, with Bruce Willis... twice actually (he made 2 with the same theme)

but isn't it the same technogeeks who save us?

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#8
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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 2:12 PM

I don't think I know that movie, Chris, and while I'd usually be asking you which one, so I could run out and get it, now, since we appear to be living it, it seems redundant.

On the other hand, I DO like being among those who save us. Technogeeks are on the way, coming through to save the day. Kinda sounds like the old Superman intro for the TV cartoon. Or was that Underdog?

Micah

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#10
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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 6:19 PM

Live Free Or Die Hard

Mercury Rising (I think)

also.. a report was done by Rand in 08 for security assessment

Chris

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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 9:55 PM

I looked up, and scanned through the first 40 pages of the Rand report (I DID say SCANNED, didn't I?), and it looks like it might have been the genesis of the US DOD DITSCAP/DIACAP process, whereby we attempt to ensure that all systems connecting to a distributed network can trust all other systems to be secured. I'll have to read it in detail soon, as it looks like heavy, but useful reading.

I think I might also have to go find those movies and watch them. They'd be interesting in light of current events.

Thanks for the links, Chris

Micah

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#12
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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 11:06 PM

did you see this one?

Chris

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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/20/2009 9:28 AM

Nope. But I'm going to print them both out so I can read them at my (putative, anyway) leisure.

Thanks. They look interesting.

Micah

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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 1:44 PM

we didn't do anything to prepare, except make noise, and plans. No real prep.

There has been quite a bit of motion inside that NK paper bag.

Who would have thought an ocean isn't an adequate firewall

Why can't we develop a reactive firewall? Reactive armor has deployed well.

Good idea we've had of at least a skeleton crew to watch the computers in case of a glitch eh? Oh yes the systems may falter but somebody must know what's what.

A near certainty of marshal law ensuing, FEMA has had practice.

I've taken lessons from the squirrels as they prepare to prepare for winter...

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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 2:09 PM
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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/16/2009 2:14 PM

Yep. Dr. Strangelove's clubmates, I think.

Micah

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Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/20/2009 12:37 PM

I would think the U.S. and Allies capable of reducing the NK military rather quickly if they want to play Korean War # 2.

What would happen if NK would defend itself unconventional.......Never underestimate an opponent.......

Who knows? That might even register with Iran that they had better not screw around with the Free World any more.

Look at history....can you name one conflict that ended as planned.

But you are right that counrties take notice, For one, Momar Kadafi from Libya.

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#2

Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/15/2009 2:46 PM

Send a thank you for the critique of our cyber security and test our laser effectiveness upon their launch pads...

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#15

Re: The North Korea Cyberattack Aftermath

07/24/2009 3:45 PM

All that needs to be done is to reduce the amount of access the N.Kpreans have to the Internet. If that is done corectly they cannot run DDos Attacks quite so easily.

It could be further improved if current antivirus software could stop the Zombies all over the world being used for such attacks as well.......

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