US Rules Out North Korea’s Role in ’09 Cyber Attacks

U.S. authorities have all but ruled out the role of North Korea in the cyber attacks which took place around July 4, 2009.

Last July, denial of service attacks hit U.S. and South Korean government networks, making several websites briefly unavailable. At the time, many cyber experts blamed North Korea for the attacks.

However, it now appears North Korea was not involved in the attacks. Government authorities are still no closer to determining who the culprits were, according to media reports. Cyber experts claim no solid evidence exists linking any foreign government to the attacks.

The attacks did not cause any significant damage or appear to result in any loss of information, leaving some experts to question its importance.

“It’s about as frightening as someone driving around the block blowing their horn a lot,” said James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “A lot of people could have done it, and it doesn’t leave a lot of clues to their identity.”

Despite the lack of evidence, North Korea does possess a significant cyber attack capability.

“There are a number of national intelligence agencies who are creating cyber capabilities. It’s a natural area of exploration,” Gen. Wesley Clark said. “I wouldn’t underestimate North Korea’s potential in this space.”

According to officials, the government is better prepared for such attacks.

Related posts:

1. July 4th Cyber Attacks: North Korea? Doubtful. Britain? Maybe
2. North Koreans may have acquired US-South Korean Military Plans
3. South Korean and US Government Websites Hacked: Is This Just The Beginning?
4. Canadian Intelligence Sees Growing Number of Cyber Attacks
5. Cyber War Part of Kyrgyzstan Ethnic Conflict