Support NeoGAF

[TheLaughingStock]

what the fuck if this happens to be true

if true how the hell did the government get the slightest clue that it could have been NK, let alone actually say that to the public?

They must have thought no one would question their claims regardless of the suspect. However, it didn't pass the smell test for me in the other thread.

 

[Delta Assault]

So we said fuck you to North Korea for nothing?

...I'm okay with that.

 

[MrGerbils]

In the last thread I wondered whether it was possible NK wasn't responsible for the attack, and that the U.S. government was using it as a convenient excuse to attack NK (cyber or otherwise) and a ton of people here mobbed on me calling me an idiot.

..welp.

 

[AuthenticM]

Well... North Korea can still go fuck itself.

 

[freenudemacusers]

for everyone dismissing this, where is the evidence that this isn't true with 100% certainty?

 

[Amir0x]

for everyone dismissing this, where is the evidence that this isn't true with 100% certainty?

That's not how we evaluate the plausibility of a theory. We discussed this in the last twenty nine topics when you espoused some conspiracy nutter bullshit.

 

[Somnid]

You mean it could be insiders and not the same North Korea who gets attractive women to have babies with foreign diplomats and then blackmails them into favoring North Korea aide, policies and business deals?

 

[freenudemacusers]

That's not how we evaluate the plausibility of a theory. We discussed this in the last twenty nine topics when you espoused some conspiracy nutter bullshit.

i'm just saying it's not entirely unplausible

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/how...ad-servers-find-alleged-pirate-ross-ulbricht/

 

[ratcliffja]

Is this a reference to something? I've never heard of the La-li-lu-le-lo.

I was going to make a clever post but I'm preoccupied so I'll just say Metal Gear Solid 2.

 

[ratcliffja]

That's not how we evaluate the plausibility of a theory. We discussed this in the last twenty nine topics when you espoused some conspiracy nutter bullshit.

Did you see who you replied to?

 

[Amir0x]

Did you see who you replied to?

yes see my 'last twenty nine topics' part of my comment

 

[riotous]

The guy in the article saying stuff about North Korea, does not work for Norse, the company who shared the info they found with the FBI. The article vaguely claims Norse's data contradicts the Korea story, but then says Norse is "careful to point out" that it essentially doesn't conclusively contradict anything.

Dismissing the rhetoric in the article the info they claim to have might be interesting.

The involvement of an ex-Sony employee wouldn't be surprising in the least. Social engineering and/or bribery of ex-employees is a common tactic for industrial espionage. It's at least something to be looked into, and for all we know is something the FBI is/was already aware of.

 

[wsippel]

So we said fuck you to North Korea for nothing?

...I'm okay with that.

So is North Korea, probably. Because honestly: Dear leader almost certainly doesn't give a fuck.

 

[MeBecomingI]

Both possibilities seem plausible and I wouldn't be surprised if an disgruntled ex-employee was in some way involved. That said,I'm sure the FBI has enough data and know how to be able to paint an accurate picture and they likely haven't completed the investigation. The stuff Norse is talking about will also be taken into account. Probably together even. I think both should be taken seriously.

That said, a lot of the reactions in this thread are pretty sad, especially on the first page. One article comes out with a different take on it (which has note been proven either) and people are taking that at face value and are right back to jumping on Sony and the U.S Government. Like, really?

 

[Log4Girlz]

Pretty open and shut. The more information that comes out, the clearer it becomes that I was responsible and I don't even work for Sony.

 

[Oersted]

@Oersted

note: I have a very basic understanding of the hacking world, the only programming I've done is a visual basic class in college

So with that said, the page I read was really just a description of what the particular virus is, how it operates and a note about its use a year or so ago. There's no mention of how to get ahold of it, or of other virus that carry out the same/similar functions. My understanding is that this kind of software was a variant of an existing virus that NK seems to have come up with and used in the past.

Are you saying that any theoretical hacker can get ahold of this virus and start crafting their own variant? Is such a thing even common in the hacking world? I've read before that the malware used isn't very sophisticated, how many other kinds of viruses are out in the ether that preform the same function as the one used on sony? And would such a thing be difficult to code?

Of course there isn't a description how to get it. It is malware, it is illegal. Wikipedia would get into trouble with a "download here" link.^^ Such malware like Shamoon is mainly available trough the darkweb, and yes, it isn't so hard to find your stuff there.

And yeah, it is common. If the software has been proven to work, it will get used again. And this software was used quite often. The advantages are obvious. Proven to work, you can cover up traces, you plain simply save costs and the damage is huge.
You can test yourself. Ever illegally downloaded music/videos? How many of them have traces of foreign languages like russian.

I don't know how many of these programs are going around. The "steal and then wipe data" technique is getting more common though. Look up the attack at the Sands Hotel. Same thing happened, most likely done by Iranians. The owner of Sands is a conservative rightwing named Adelson, who more than indirectly threatened a nuke close to Teheran if Iran doesn't stop their nuclear program. He had to pay a price.

Note: I'm not saying North Korea isn't responsible. From fully, to partly, to not all. All possible.

 

[davepoobond]

for everyone dismissing this, where is the evidence that this isn't true with 100% certainty?

You can't prove a negative

 

[Kinky John]

A strong counter-narrative to the official account of the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment has emerged in recent days, with the visage of the petulant North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, replaced by another, more familiar face: former Sony Pictures employees angry over their firing during a recent reorganization at the company.

 

[radioactivez0r]

This seems pretty thin.

"Guy let go by company goes on social media to say mean things about them" is hardly hard evidence they had anything to do with it, I hope. I understand they went further than that, but that's like ignoring the reason for Twitter's existence: to talk shit about stuff you don't like.

 

[Zeth]

Highly recommend today's episode of Security Now, currently live. Security experts' opinion is NK involvement theory is "weak and weakening".