View Full Version : Sony and N. Korea
The Sony hacking is now being blamed on North Korea (again), and Sony pulls the movie opening for The Interview (a comedy).
:shakehead:
There MUST be something more to the story.
Rogen and Franco canceled their public appearances on Tuesday. Representatives for the actors did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer of cybersecurity firm BeyondTrust, said he believed it was the first time a film screening had been pulled in the wake of a high-profile cyber attack.
"If they pulled the premier because of the hacking, it's troubling. The moment you start reacting is the moment you give them more power," Maiffret told Reuters.
North Korea has strongly denounced the comedy as an act of terrorism and called for Sony to cancel the film. It has praised the hacking as a "righteous deed" but has said it is not involved.
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-authorities-downplay-threats-over-norht-korean-movie-plot/2562279.html
Napoleon
12-18-14, 02:17 PM
There MUST be something more to the story.
Like what?
From what I have read the code used in the hack is very similar to that used in other known DPRK hacks in the past. Also interesting is what does the US now do. It is not that straight forward since we have an ally, Japan, negotiating with the DPRK over the return of some of their citizens they kidnapped. Also it sounds like the actual physical location of the hackers may have been outside of the DPRK, which makes you wonder if they can actually run those people down outside of the DPRK
The most interesting suggestion I have seen from a political commentator I read is the US should just cover Sony's cost and have then release it for free world wide via streaming so that it is seen by far more people then it would have been otherwise.
Oh and it has now also caused a new Steve Carell North Korea sited movie to be dropped (http://variety.com/2014/film/news/steve-carell-north-korea-movie-dropped-1201381955/)
G, yes, there is...Kim-Jong Un is a nut job x11. Threats were made, and the theaters balked at showing it. $ony was forced to make this decision. In part, due to recent events in Oz and Pakistan. This was a MASSIVE hack, and likely used internal $ony resources. Server names and server admin credentials were found in the scripts that initiated the hack attack.
On a funny note, a theater in Texas is showing Team America instead.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/alamo-drafthouse-team-america_n_6345156.html
Yes, from what I read last night, the code was similar to what was used in a Dark Seoul attack on South Korean banks, hospitals etc. a couple of years ago. Some of it originated from Thailand, and possibly from China. This is very sensitive due to the factors you also noted, and the fact that Kim is a nut job.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/us-links-north-korea-to-sony-hacking.html
I can also tell you that after working closely with the security folks at AOL, we were continually barraged from sites in the former Eastern Block attempting to hack our registration sites.
I also heard traffic on local radio that Kim-Jong Il claimed shooting 11 hole-in-one in one year, claimed to have invented the hamburger, and his name was not allowed to be used by anyone else in the country. No worries, Barry can just make diplomatic peace with them... :saywhat:
cameraman
12-18-14, 02:53 PM
Guys Kim Jong-il is dead, the current nut is Kim Jong-un.
Guys Kim Jong-il is dead, the current nut is Kim Jong-un.
Sorry. Corrected. I was busy hacking into your poolhost account to 'fix' your picks. :gomer: ;) Un father, Il son. me thinks the family tree didn't branch much. :saywhat:
Tifosi24
12-18-14, 03:17 PM
Guys Kim Jong-il is dead, the current nut is Kim Jong-un.
Well, if Jong-il is like his father Il-Sun, the North Koreans would say he is an eternal leader and never dies. Therefore, the earlier statements are correct in North Korea.
There MUST be something more to the story.
Like what?
Someone must have advised Sony that it was a Really Bad Idea to open the movie. Someone with solid knowledge. They're losing all of the distribution/marketing that they've spent so far.
Someone must have advised Sony that it was a Really Bad Idea to open the movie. Someone with solid knowledge. They're losing all of the distribution/marketing that they've spent so far.
The major theater chains said no.
Hours before Sony canceled the movie, the four largest theater chains in the United States — Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Carmike Cinemas — and several smaller chains said they would not show “The Interview” as a result of the threat. The cancellations virtually killed the movie as a theatrical enterprise, at least in the near term, one of the first known instances of a threat from another nation pre-empting the release of a movie.
$ony's hand was forced.
cameraman
12-18-14, 03:25 PM
That the movie is just horrible probably also factored in. All this damage due to an incredibly stupid idea which resulted in a truly awful movie. Everyone involved with this film at Sony needs to be fired.
That the movie is just horrible probably also factored in. All this damage due to an incredibly stupid idea which resulted in a truly awful movie. Everyone involved with this film at Sony needs to be fired.
Agreed. Never should have been greenlighted. Decision to release on Xmas == extra stupidity. :irked:
On a funny note, a theater in Texas is showing Team America instead.
Paramount Pictures says NO! :rolleyes:
Do these folks really think there are North Korean terrorists deployed across the country ready to attack movie theaters?
I'm sure the PR folks and lawyers at Sony are calling the shots but this is absurd. I have no interest in seeing The Interview no matter what else is going on.
cameraman
12-18-14, 04:55 PM
No but the theater chains know that their web sites and internal computer infrastructure is not even remotely secure and the folks that targeted Sony could just as easily pick them off too.
TravelGal
12-18-14, 06:24 PM
That the movie is just horrible probably also factored in. All this damage due to an incredibly stupid idea which resulted in a truly awful movie. Everyone involved with this film at Sony needs to be fired.
That's what I'm hearing from folks who may not know (about the movie) but think they do. Apparently it is quite the stinker.
Which begs the question, has Seth Rogen ever been in a good movie?
TravelGal
12-18-14, 06:53 PM
HAHA. True.
Sony is really spooked. Just saw this. Sources at the Sony studio tell TMZ ... their tour has been put on ice since the hacker attack ... and a big reason is that its 2 hour walking could pose a big threat to Sony. The tour is touted as a behind the scenes look at a working studio. The idea of someone straying from the group is too real a possibility.
We're told the tour will not resume until sometime after the first of the year, but no date has been set.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2014/12/18/sony-cancels-tour-studio-lot-hacker/#ixzz3MID58gzX
This is all Dennis Rodman's fault.
Ted
:p
Also interesting is what does the US now do?
Probably nothing. The most that can be done is to identify the people involved and ask Interpol to arrest them.
My guess is the reason behind the attack is phony. Someone wanted to advertise their capabilities before extorting other companies.
"Dear Bank of America, I won't steal your data if you pay me one million dollars."
pfc_m_drake
12-18-14, 08:43 PM
Probably nothing. The most that can be done is to identify the people involved and ask Interpol to arrest them.
My guess is the reason behind the attack is phony. Someone wanted to advertise their capabilities before extorting other companies.
"Dear Bank of America, I won't steal your data if you pay me one million dollars."Maybe this is bad to say but the cynical side of me is still waiting for this whole thing to be part of some viral marketing campaign.
Someone must have advised Sony that it was a Really Bad Idea to open the movie. Someone with solid knowledge. They're losing all of the distribution/marketing that they've spent so far.
Gubmint says they're not aware of any credible threat. Either the hackers have info that Sony really, really doesn't want out or they're just running scared from fallout if anything did happen. Sadly they're probably right from a business perspective. Between the lawyers and the media response an actual incident could really cripple an already struggling behemoth.
opinionated ow
12-19-14, 06:12 AM
ABC Radio this morning were talking about there being credible terrorist threats to American cinemas. It took me by surprise that's for sure. ABC is usually pro North Korea.
Insomniac
12-19-14, 02:34 PM
Gubmint says they're not aware of any credible threat. Either the hackers have info that Sony really, really doesn't want out or they're just running scared from fallout if anything did happen. Sadly they're probably right from a business perspective. Between the lawyers and the media response an actual incident could really cripple an already struggling behemoth.
dando is right. The theaters forced Sony's hand. The movie would've ended up in limited release at the rate the theaters were pulling out. And that limited release wouldn't have been in big cities only, but the opposite. Sony still wants to make money on it, but I wonder if there is really any way it gets released now. If the major theaters won't show it now, what will change in 2015? DVD release? Won't they threaten stores with attacks? Kind of crazy that these people are the terrorists who succeeded while others with an actual track record of terrorism have never been this effective. I don't think the threats would've affected consumer's behavior much, instead it affected business'.
Andrew Longman
12-19-14, 04:10 PM
It will probably end up as streaming video without a lot a fanfare - mostly because it isn't a very good movie.
N Korea can't really touch the US so this is mostly hyperventilating fear mongering. But if they did manage to do something with a sleeper cell, the US has overwhelming ability to retaliate -- which the N Korean must know. That doesn't mean they will act rationally, but I see this as a stunt directed for internal consumption. And the usual N Korea false bravado trying to show they are among equals in the international community.
cameraman
12-19-14, 04:50 PM
The North Koreans have a very good set of hackers and they could make the US mighty miserable if they just randomly turned loose on companies or local governments or infrastructure. It won't bring down the nation but it could get really expensive in a hurry.
N Korea can't really touch the US so this is mostly hyperventilating fear mongering. But if they did manage to do something with a sleeper cell, the US has overwhelming ability to retaliate -- which the N Korean must know.
The US should hijack the TV signal during Kim's next presidential address and show a CGI Kim surrendering to South Korea, declaring an end to the DMZ, and then committing suicide.
This is just absurd. POTUS calls out $ony for pulling the flick. Sorry, dude, the major theater chains made the choice for $ony. Give me a flipping break. The level of incompetence in DC is reaching 11. Not being political (I'm independent), but damn folks, wake up. A film without a distribution platform == stag flick. :irked:
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/sony-executive-michael-lynton-responds-to-president-obama/index.html
Andrew Longman
12-19-14, 09:48 PM
The North Koreans have a very good set of hackers and they could make the US mighty miserable if they just randomly turned loose on companies or local governments or infrastructure. It won't bring down the nation but it could get really expensive in a hurry.True, but US has some mighty good capabilities in electronic warfare. And then there are those Tomahawk missiles. ;)
cameraman
12-20-14, 02:35 AM
You don't tomahawk people who have nuclear bombs and a very large army 20 miles from Seoul.
TravelGal
12-20-14, 01:40 PM
NOW it becomes clear. North Korea proposes a joint inquiry into what happened. Hellooooooo. Let's let them see everything we have to stop cyber attacks. Sure. You betcha. The end game comes into focus.
indyfan31
12-20-14, 01:41 PM
This is just absurd. POTUS calls out $ony for pulling the flick. Sorry, dude, the major theater chains made the choice for $ony. Give me a flipping break. The level of incompetence in DC is reaching 11. Not being political (I'm independent), but damn folks, wake up. A film without a distribution platform == stag flick. :irked:
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/sony-executive-michael-lynton-responds-to-president-obama/index.html
You'd think as a sports fan POTUS would understand the definition of a Monday morning quarterback.
Insomniac
12-20-14, 01:53 PM
It will probably end up as streaming video without a lot a fanfare - mostly because it isn't a very good movie.
N Korea can't really touch the US so this is mostly hyperventilating fear mongering. But if they did manage to do something with a sleeper cell, the US has overwhelming ability to retaliate -- which the N Korean must know. That doesn't mean they will act rationally, but I see this as a stunt directed for internal consumption. And the usual N Korea false bravado trying to show they are among equals in the international community.
Except this time, it's not fake.
gerhard911
12-20-14, 04:10 PM
Not being political...
:rolleyes:
:rolleyes:
:shrug: Facts matter. :saywhat:
This is just absurd. POTUS calls out $ony for pulling the flick. Sorry, dude, the major theater chains made the choice for $ony. Give me a flipping break. The level of incompetence in DC is reaching 11. Not being political (I'm independent), but damn folks, wake up. A film without a distribution platform == stag flick. :irked:
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/sony-executive-michael-lynton-responds-to-president-obama/index.html
Sorry, just saying that you're not being political doesn't sanitize it. It's been a long time since I've had to moderate a post so let's not go there.
Andrew Longman
12-20-14, 08:07 PM
You don't tomahawk people who have nuclear bombs and a very large army 20 miles from Seoul.You might if they committed some 9/11-like attack on US soil. We are capable of inflicting overwhelming damage on them. It is a frightening thought and hopefully it is as much of a deterrent for the North as you describe it should be for the US.
stroker
12-20-14, 08:13 PM
Nuking the Norks is basically off the table. First, it would greatly annoy both the South Koreans killing their (extended) families and the Chinese like have that buffer. Second, Japan would have no interest in fallout following their most recent problem with radiation.
I'm thinking some review of Toffler's "War and Anti-War" may be in the works.
Most Tomahawks don't carry nukes. But it's extremely unlikely we launch anything at the Norks anyway.
No way are the Norks sending teams over here to blow things up. No way. I'm really skeptical they are responsible for the Sony hack.
Tifosi24
12-20-14, 10:53 PM
Nuking the Norks is basically off the table. First, it would greatly annoy both the South Koreans killing their (extended) families and the Chinese like have that buffer. Second, Japan would have no interest in fallout following their most recent problem with radiation.
I'm thinking some review of Toffler's "War and Anti-War" may be in the works.
Pretty much any military response would be off the table. A good friend of mine is from Korea, and still have family there on both sides of the border, and he says that there are enough conventional weapons in range of Seoul to destroy it, and our troops stationed along the DMZ, in hours. If anyone decides to use military force on the Korean Peninsula, they have to be prepared to accept hundreds of thousands in casualties and the U.S. needs to be prepared to lose more men and women in a week than we did in 15 years fighting "terror". I don't know if we are prepared for that over a terrible movie and, yes, I know this goes beyond the movie if North Korea is behind it.
Andrew Longman
12-21-14, 03:10 AM
In the 1% chance the N Korean actually pull off a 9/11 like attack on US soil that kills thousand, I think it is very hard to predict what the response would but I'm betting it would be nasty and many of the usual concerns, checks and balances should go out the window. I highly doubt it would involve nukes though.
I really have to stop reading any OC threads involving world events.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOjHior0RfU
:\
Proper.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/21/7430205/watch-dr-evil-mock-sony-pictures-and-north-korea-on-snl
A Breakdown and Analysis of the December, 2014 Sony Hack (https://www.riskbasedsecurity.com/2014/12/a-breakdown-and-analysis-of-the-december-2014-sony-hack/)
On December 1st, GOP started publishing the full cache of data files taken from Sony’s servers with the first chunk totaling a respectable 24.87GB of compressed files. Surprisingly enough, the GOP appears to have used compromised servers on Sony’s network to upload and seed the torrent for the leaked data, as well as uploading it to MEGA and RapidGator.
The GOP posted this video mocking the FBI
hiRacdl02w4
Every time I see "North Korea" I read China.
The puppet does not pull its own strings.
Last month at a summit, the President asked China to stop its cyberattacks against US companies.
http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/223555-obama-urges-china-to-stop-cyber-theft
It would seem China is disinclined to acquiesce to his request.
Even my 14YO daughter knows that cyber-bullying is not OK. :rolleyes::saywhat:
N. Korea threatens strikes on US amid hacking claims (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NKOREA_SONY_HACKING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-12-21-21-44-06)
"Our toughest counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole U.S. mainland, the cesspool of terrorism, by far surpassing the `symmetric counteraction' declared by Obama," said the commission's Policy Department in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
This story claims that hackers made extortion demands prior to the leaks. This would seem to call the entire North Korean angle into question, but then that would call into question the FBI assigning blame to North Korea.
http://mashable.com/2014/12/08/hackers-emailed-sony-execs/?utm_cid=mash-com-Tw-main-link
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-these-experts-still-dont-buy-20141221-column.html
http://www.showbiz411.com/2014/12/21/sony-gets-a-new-threat-anonymous-says-hackers-arent-korean-release-film-or-more-hacks-coming
Dear Mr. Michael Lynton (CEO of Sony Entertainment),
We shall first-off begin this message with an expression of sympathy as you have failed to release “The Interview” as you believe that hackers shall carry out a new operation to cause malicious damage within your organisation.
I would like to inform you that we all know the hacks didn’t come from North Korea (we think everybody knows about this already).
What we would like to say is that by not releasing “The Interview”, you are denying us the privilege of the Freedom Of Information Act (1966).
Unfortunately, due to your organisation panicking at first sight of trouble, we find this very cowardly of both yourself and your organisation (Sony Entertainment).
We know that Mr. Paulo Coelho has offered Sony Entertainment a sum of $100,000 for the rights of the movie; where he shall then be able to upload the movie onto BitTorrent.
Obviously, you shall not be responding to his generous offer – so please respond to ours with a public conference, we wish to offer you a deal…
Release “The Interview” as planned, or we shall carry out as many hacks as we are capable of to both Sony Entertainment, and yourself.
Obviously, this document was only created by a group of 25 – 30 Anons, but there are more of us on the internet than you can possibly imagine.
We are Anonymous,
We are Legion,
We do not forgive,
We do not forget,
Expect us.
This would seem to call the entire North Korean angle into question, but then that would call into question the FBI assigning blame to North Korea.
Unless I missed it the FBI hasn't disclosed how they arrived at their claim. No way to judge. SteveH's link above to riskbasedsecurity sure suggests there is reason to be skeptical.
Cyber vandalism. :shakehead: The war of words between the WH ans $ony escalates.
And now 'net outages reported in NK, Asia...
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102289459
I wouldn't think an internet outage to North Korea would mean much. How many residents have access?
Napoleon
12-22-14, 05:19 PM
I wouldn't think an internet outage to North Korea would mean much. How many residents have access?
Likely all that happened is that a goat chewed through a wire or something.
I read earlier that they only have something like 1075 dominion names registered.
Napoleon
12-22-14, 06:08 PM
Another article saying some think it was not the North Koreans.
http://gawker.com/a-lot-of-smart-people-think-north-korea-didnt-hack-sony-1672899940
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v698/ZZYZXX13/sony_zps1afda12f.jpg
IMO, nothing to see here on the DNK internet outage. Obviously they got a busy signal dialing up AOL. ;)
Napoleon
12-23-14, 01:53 PM
Sony has authorized some theaters to show the movie on the 25th, per the AP.
stroker
12-23-14, 03:57 PM
Sony has authorized some theaters to show the movie on the 25th, per the AP.
that gave them enough time to edit the hell out of it.
Sony has authorized some theaters to show the movie on the 25th, per the AP.
Yup. It's going to be shown here at a local 'arts' theater. I'm certain nrc will be camping out to watch it. ;)
Insomniac
12-23-14, 04:22 PM
that gave them enough time to edit the hell out of it.
Why bother? The central problem can't be edited out.
It's also available online today.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/24/media/interview-digital-release/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-briefed-on-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113866.html
Lots of traffic disputing the FBI findings. The fact that the hack included admin accounts and passwords would seem to support internal involvement. :saywhat:
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