North Korea blamed for ‘massive’ cyber attacks

[Neil]

How the hell could the Norks have orchestrated a DDoS attack with old 386s?

I thought they were still using Commodore 64s...

Negative.  North Korea has just developed punch-card technology.  US internet security is so poor that the Punch Card of Doom is the ultimate weapon.

[Josephus]

I got a lot more "Get a bigger cock" spam lately. I blame the Commie bastards.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Maybe word of your inferior size got out and friends are trying to help you.

I got a lot more "Get a bigger cock" spam lately. I blame the Commie bastards.

[Habsburg]

 

There are people who sympathize with North Korea?
Me not understand. 

[Neil]

There are people who sympathize with North Korea?
Me not understand.

Hatred of America runs strong.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Lots of people root for the put upon underdog.  THe Koreans would be unified if it werne't for the United States' primitive attempts at nation building.

There are people who sympathize with North Korea?
Me not understand. 

[jimmy olsen]

Lots of people root for the put upon underdog.  THe Koreans would be unified if it werne't for the United States' primitive attempts at nation building.

There are people who sympathize with North Korea?
Me not understand. 

Primitive? South Korea's a well functioning democracy with a 1st world economy.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Lots of people root for the put upon underdog.  THe Koreans would be unified if it werne't for the United States' primitive attempts at nation building.

There are people who sympathize with North Korea?
Me not understand. 

Primitive? South Korea's a well functioning democracy with a 1st world economy.

Despite the best efforts of US imperialism.  If whatsisface, that Swede who got stabbed in Indonesia was here, he'd explain it better.

[DontSayBanana]

Despite the best efforts of US imperialism.  If whatsisface, that Swede who got stabbed in Indonesia was here, he'd explain it better.

You mean btrollson? Yeah, he's walking proof that the pro-US Hansies of the world aren't the only successful spin doctors.

[Razgovory]

Despite the best efforts of US imperialism.  If whatsisface, that Swede who got stabbed in Indonesia was here, he'd explain it better.

You mean btrollson? Yeah, he's walking proof that the pro-US Hansies of the world aren't the only successful spin doctors.

Unless he's dead.

[Habsburg]

There are people who sympathize with North Korea?
Me not understand.

Hatred of America runs strong.

My inner carebear weaps. 

[Josquius]

I'd have to agree with Tim here. Rather WTF for N.Korea to be pulling this sort of thing. To get a core of government computer hackers you need a population of computer/internet geeks to draw from.  N.Korea certainly doesn't have this... That they could train some of their standard spooks to be hackers is very odd.

[Valmy]

Despite the best efforts of US imperialism.  If whatsisface, that Swede who got stabbed in Indonesia was here, he'd explain it better.

No no that was DUE to the best efforts of US Imperialism.  USA!  USA!  USA!

[HisMajestyBOB]

They don't seem to be letting up.

Cyber attacks on S. Korea set to enter new phase

 
SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea came under cyber attacks for a third consecutive day between Thursday evening and early Friday morning and the unprecedented hacking incident is set to enter a new phase as tens of thousands of virus-contaminated personal computers appear automatically programmed to destroy their own stored data starting Friday, government and industry officials warned.

   The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said it has been notified by computer vaccine company Ahn Lab that the so-called "distributed denial-of-service" (DDoS) virus, which is responsible for initiating the ongoing cyberspace war in South Korea, was set to destroy at least 20,000 contaminated PCs across the nation.

   DDoS attacks refer to a situation in which a multitude of infected computers attack a single target, thereby causing denial of service for legitimate users of the compromised site.

   In a related development, government agencies and private network security firms said they have identified and closed four overseas-based intermediate hosts suspected of participating in the latest wave of DDoS attacks on key South Korean Web sites this week.

   The agencies and private firms also said they would continue to track down the virus contamination route amid suspicions that North Korea may be behind the recent wave of Web site outages.

   On Thursday evening, at least seven Web sites operated by government and media organizations, including Kookmin Bank, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security's electronic government site, the mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo and leading portal Naver, reported access delays or failures starting around 6 p.m.

   Several Seoul-based portal sites also reported that their mail services underwent temporary access disruptions, apparently due to the DDoS attack.

   Kookmin Bank, a leading state-funded lender, said it was forced to shut down its Internet banking site for about 30 minutes until 6:30 p.m. after the site came under the DDoS attack from unidentified hackers.

   "A third round of cyber attacks was begun Thursday evening, but the nation averted the crisis without much confusion thanks to sufficient advance preparations," said an official at the state-run Korea Information Security Agency. "The government will continue to work to minimize damage from the latest cyber attack through closer cooperation with relevant institutions and companies."

   The KCC also briskly moved to contain damage to key government Web sites and asked the nation's key Internet service providers to restrict Internet access by personal computers contaminated by viruses.

   Kim Hong-sun, chief executive of Ahn Lab, said it was difficult for now to forecast how long the cyber attack will persist.

   "There is no clear information on the pattern and timing of further cyber attacks. It is difficult to precisely predict the outlook," said Kim.

   Beginning Tuesday, the DDoS attacks overwhelmed major Web sites in South Korea and the United States, virtually taking them off-line. Unidentified hackers began their initial attacks at 6 p.m. Tuesday, blocking Internet users from accessing 26 Web sites, including the official site of South Korea's presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, and 14 government and private Web sites in the U.S. The unidentified hackers staged their second cyber attack on Wednesday evening.

Are we sure this is North Korea? It could be the beginnings of Skynet.

[Darth Wagtaros]

This probably cost very little to set up.  Cyber security being what it is even a mid level terrorist group could likely do some serious damage with a modest investment in equipment and talent.