Prez Obama slaps sanctions on Norks in payback for Sony hack

The Obama administration has imposed new economic sanctions on North Korea in retaliation for its alleged, and frankly barely believable, involvement in the Sony Pictures mega-hack. Citing the Norks' "destructive and destabilizing conduct," US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a statement on Friday that the Treasury …

[Mad Chaz]

I blame sony. They failed to learn from past mistakes and have been hacked so many times in the past, it IS starting to look like the "victim"* is to blame.

*the real victims are the people who's info was stolen and who's life might be ruined by this, but I mean Sony here.

They seriously need to step-up security over there.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not so fast

All the evidence points to the Sony hack being an inside job, regardless of what Obama and his cronies claim. If that's the case, then ANY company can fall victim since there's always at least one disgruntled employee.

[Swarthy]

Re: Not so fast

But simple measures like expiring accounts when an employee leaves, the CEO NOT emailing his password in cleartext, and implementing something resembling security policies will go some way to reducing the effectiveness of disgruntled employees.

Also treating employees like people rather than "resources" to be used up and disposed of may keep a larger portion of the cattle employees gruntled.

[Mark 85]

Sanctions and no one is really sure?

See icon-------------------------->

I guess there's a chance it was them and their early "send us money" was out of a need to by Great Leader a new car or something.....

Color me still skeptical and wondering if Obama is trying show he's tougher in the White House than on the golf course.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Sanctions and no one is really sure?

He's posturing as "tough on America's enemies" with the North Koreans, so he can push forward with various deals with Iran and Cuba on other fronts.

The Norks may have pwned Sony, or they may have not, but they did make themselves a target by yapping about how great it was that Sony got hosed.

[g e]

Oh but the US love a good pretext

I should imagine Lockheed, Northropp, Raytheon, General Dynamics, et al are already tendering for 'work' that may come from this.

[William Donelson]

Norks "Act of War"

6/27/2014 3:47am PDT

SEOUL — North Korea has officially condemned The Interview, calling James Franco and Seth Rogen film's plot about a mission to assassinate Kim Jong Un "AN ACT OF WAR."

To say that the Norks are not responsible, directly or indirectly, is not credible.

[WorkingFromHome]

Re: Norks "Act of War"

Not saying whether they are or they aren't responsible, but North Korea claims something or other is an act of war, or will suffer dire consequences on an almost daily basis.

It's taking that comment seriously which is not credible.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Norks "Act of War"

The Norks consider it an "act of war" every time the South Koreans build a new guard tower along the DMZ, South Korean citizens float helium balloons with little aid packages over the DMZ or the U.S. Navy sails within 100 miles of South Korea. To date, they have not declared war on South Korean gophers treacherously burrowing into the north, but I am sure that is coming!

They are certainly a suspect in the Sony hack, but I'm not even sure they should be the leading suspect.

[Swarthy]

Re: Norks "Act of War"

Well, technically, they are Acts of War.. the US and SK only have a cease fire with NK, there is no truce, or anything; we've just been in a "temporary cessation of hostilities" for the past several decades. We are, officially, still at war.

[Rick Brasche]

Re: Norks "Act of War"

yet similar declarations by Saddam Hussein, or Al Queda were not considered "credible" by opponents for any warlike activities in the Middle East.

Can't have it both ways.

[Paul Hovnanian]

[Sigh]

File this one in with Iraq's WMD, I'm afraid.

We (USA) are going to start looking like a bunch of fools if we take the first piece of questionable evidence and run with it. Some analysts are beginning to think this might have been an inside (Sony) job. Maybe, or maybe its NORK misdirection. But we can always slap sanctions later on*, so why not take some time to do a proper investigation.

*Or perhaps not. Kim Jung Un has made an approch to negotiate with South Korea. So an overly quick response on our part could appear to be us trying to queer the deal. Our role should be to back up our ally militarily and ensure nothing is done by coercion. But if they can legitimately negotiate peace, our political goals should have no influence.

[John Jennings]

Re: [Sigh]

OpCon is moving to South Korea this year. North Korea has to be painted as enemy number 1 in the region to boost arms sales...

South K, Philippians, Japan all need to keep the orders comming in to keep the complex turning over.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-south-korea-shift-plan-on-wartime-military-control-1414104612

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: [Sigh]

>File this one in with Iraq's WMD, I'm afraid.

So we blame 9/11 on North Korea this year

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: [Sigh]

Queering direct negotiations between South and North Korea would be a reason for the White House to jump at NK being the source of the hack. I'd also add that having been the subject of and unwilling participant in several government investigations, the theory of the crime always comes first then the search for evidence to support the theory. Not once was it collect the evidence and then develop the theory. Despite all the positive portrayals courtesy of Hollywood, near as I can tell, it hasn't changed over the decades.

[Destroy All Monsters]

Woah

That dog sure is being wagged by both of its tails.

Pat Buchanan asked whether "war was in the cards for 2015". By the farty sounds, one in Europe, a continuing one in Afghanistan (wait, we won that one yesterday, right?), a renewed one in the Caliphate, an couple of "interventions" in the Lybia/Mali region, one in Korea, .....

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe

Security Firm Marketing Droid #1: We need to taker advantage of the Sony / North Korea situation

Security Firm Marketing Droid #2: We can claim it was not North Korea, get on all the talk shows and drum up a bunch of business.

Security Firm Marketing Droid #1: But we have no proof it was not North Kora

Security Firm Marketing Droid #1 & #2 : (After several minutes of deep laughing) Like that ever mattered

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Maybe

Except that the Sony hack really does show that even major corporations need to be spending more time and effort on IT security. However it happened, Sony's IT security was utterly compromised, their communications and intellectual property thrown out on the WWW for everyone to see and even their physical IT infrastructure was largely destroyed.

I think that's a textbook example of an IT security failure.

(And yes, I am a former security firm marketing droid)

[skeptical i]

Already seen this movie

"the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy" I believe it was called.

[Mitoo Bobsworth]

Let's see...

Sony gets a bucketload of free, workable publicity (good & bad, spin doctors to massage) on the cusp of releasing what is, in essence, an inconsequential, and (realistically) puerile movie. No consequences likely for those whose decision-making enabled the conditions that led to the resultant security mess.

USA gets an excuse to start rattling it's sabres at a hopelessly outgunned nation, while fostering every reason to impose both interior & exterior sanctions (possibilities - increased surveillance, promotion of IT restrictions/control, the WMD scenario again, just off the top of my head), without really having to prove their accusations in any substantial form.

A sad, sorry & entirely unnecessary fuck-up of an incident.

Cynical? Moi? Absolutely!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Let's see...

Agree, except that North Korea is the sort of place that we liberated in 1945. If the entire North Korean government and military leadership was to disappear overnight, it would be an improvement. It isn't hopelessly outgunned because it holds the South hostage. This is one of the few cases where the people in power genuinely are the bad guys. Forget Sony, remember the population treated like slave workers in Nazi Germany. A solution is needed for North Korea.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Let's see...

Technically speaking, they also hold the US hostage as well. Having developed a (mostly) working nuclear weapon (okay, one was a fizzle) and a satellite launcher, they are capable of (perhaps) delivering a nuclear weapon wherever they desire. Worse, done right, an EMP attack which no one in our technologically dependent society will enjoy at all. Here's hoping they aren't totally insane but given their track-record of using the insanity card on a regular basis, the US is playing what could be a very expensive bluff, i.e. that we can check/invade North Korea when we really can't.

[Michael Habel]

Re: Let's see...

Let's not also forget that China would be on their side. A reheated conflict with North Korea would likely go down well with China IMHO. Giving them a chance to overrun Taiwan, and possibly parts of Japan as well. If, and when North Korea decides to blow it. It'll likely be the start of WWIII.

[Ole Juul]

Re: Let's see...

It'll likely be the start of WWIII.

One shudders to think that could be part of the US agenda.

[Anonymous Coward]

False flag confirmed

More proof, as if any were needed, that the global elite now have the Norks in their sights.

Roll on WW3.

[JaitcH]

US Politicians must have short memories - a policy of FAILURE

I don't have enough fingers on my hands to count the times that North Korea has humiliated the USA.

From the USS Pueblo to nuclear bombs and rockets - the North Koreans copy the USA and act with impunity.

The USA, after it lost the American War in VietNam, slapped sanctions on the country, and did VietNam a favour. European technology dominates because the Europeans ignored these petty bans.

We are are self-sufficient in VietNam, save a few shortages of electricity, I can have custom products made by skilled craftsmen that neither the USA, Canada or the UK offer. Where in these countries can you pop down with your transportation of delight and have a custom accessory manufactured?

When I design an electronic device I go straight from Electronic Circuit Simulation Software / Circuit Simulators to CAD, e-mail my design to the PCB manufacturers and have five PCBs the next day with solder resist and text/graphics overlay.

I have to wait a whole TWO DAYS if I want 100 pieces. And the prices would make you cry - a 10cm square board costs me less than a USD$1.25!

So go ahead, USA, do enemies favours, they are better off without you.

P.S. Guess which country is begging VN to buy more products and to rent their old Cam Ranh Bay facilities from VN?

[Primus Secundus Tertius]

Who did the dirty Ddos?

"Today's actions are the first aspect of our response".

That means they deny being the cause of the NK internet Ddos in late December.

[Anonymous Coward]

Meanwhile in North Korea

Nobody gives a shit.

[Britt Johnston]

Re: Meanwhile in North Korea

well, hasn't someone just started a turnaround dash by marrying Kim's sister?