# North Korea cyber-attacks the U.S.! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341 "2009-07-08T16:55:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/1 "2009-07-08T16:55:54Z")
I did a quick search for a thread on this news report about a [cyeber attack](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090708/ap_on_go_ot/us_us_cyber_attack) on the U.S. and South Korea, apparently by North Koreans. > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON – The powerful attack that overwhelmed computers at U.S. and South Korean government agencies for days was even broader than initially realized, also targeting the White House, the Pentagon and the New York Stock Exchange. Just wondering what people’s thoughts were about it? ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/2 "2009-07-08T17:23:42Z")
If it can be proven that it was the North Koreans, I would like to think we would use our own cyber assets to launch a devastating counterattack, loudly and publicly, as both (non-violent) retribution and a deterrent effect to other twits who are considering similar attacks. But we’ll never know what, if any, countermeasures are, were or will be taken. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/3 "2009-07-08T17:29:05Z")
The reports I read said this sort of thing occurs frequenty, identifying China as a past culprit. I’m not sure this merits any response other than shoring up our security. ---
**Author:** ![clnilsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecccb3/32.png) [@clnilsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clnilsen)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/4 "2009-07-08T17:29:30Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > I did a quick search for a thread on this news report about a [cyeber attack](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090708/ap_on_go_ot/us_us_cyber_attack) on the U.S. and South Korea, apparently by North Koreans. > > Just wondering what people’s thoughts were about it? I heard this on the news last night, and compared it to the [Hunley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Hunley_(submarine)) as the first NATIONAL attack of its kind, from one country on another, distinct from just a rougue element within a country. Pretty bizarre stuff, and I agree we’ll probably never hear what the retaliation will be. I suspect however that he won’t be using the Torrentz to get his Liz Taylor fix anytime soon.😃 ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/5 "2009-07-08T17:45:30Z")
> [@picker](#): > > If it can be proven that it was the North Koreans, I would like to think we would use our own cyber assets to launch a devastating counterattack, loudly and publicly, as both (non-violent) retribution and a deterrent effect to other twits who are considering similar attacks. I am not a North Korea expert, but I wonder if North Korea really has anything worth cyber-attacking. I don’t get the impression they’re all wired up to the Internet over there or anything. It would probably turn out to be like sending out commerce raiders to attach the merchant marine of, say, Chad. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/6 "2009-07-08T18:18:57Z")
> [@clnilsen](#): > > I heard this on the news last night, and compared it to the [Hunley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Hunley_(submarine)) as the first NATIONAL attack of its kind, from one country on another, distinct from just a rougue element within a country. Didn’t Russia launch a similar attack against Estonia a couple of years ago? ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/7 "2009-07-08T18:28:24Z")
I didn’t know North Korea even had any cyborgs. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/8 "2009-07-08T18:45:15Z")
The White House, the Pentagon, and the New York Stock Exchange? But those are **all our bases**. North Korea attacks all our base! All our base are belong to them! I can feel a YouTube dance mix coming on. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/9 "2009-07-08T20:04:30Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > I didn’t know North Korea even had any cyborgs. Yeesh, where have you been. Kim Jong-Il died years ago. That thing we seem time to time is just a cyborg. A cyborg with old lady sunglasses. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/10 "2009-07-08T23:25:32Z")
Aren’t cyborgs supposed to look at least vaguely human? Kim Bot Il fails. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/11 "2009-07-09T01:22:24Z")
Based on the l33t skills displayed on [The Official Webpage of The Democratic (snerk) Republic of Korea](http://www.korea-dpr.com/) I have a hard time believing that North Koreans are doing it. I’d put my money on some sort of cyber-mercenaries. ---
**Author:** ![wheelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b4bc9f/32.png) [@wheelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheelie)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/12 "2009-07-09T02:07:50Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Aren’t cyborgs supposed to look at least vaguely human? Kim Bot Il fails. He does kinda resemble the Cybermen from Doctor Who, though. At least in his expressiveness. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/13 "2009-07-09T02:48:32Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > The reports I read said this sort of thing occurs frequenty, identifying China as a past culprit. > I’m not sure this merits any response other than shoring up our security. The US has been at cyber-war for several years now. This particular incident is just one that made the media. Our agency was targeted by the Chinese a few months back. We won that battle. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/14 "2009-07-09T03:12:54Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I am not a North Korea expert, but I wonder if North Korea really has anything worth cyber-attacking. I don’t get the impression they’re all wired up to the Internet over there or anything. It would probably turn out to be like sending out commerce raiders to attach the merchant marine of, say, Chad. Judging by the coat of arms on the link Ale provided, they do have electric power, though. > [@Ale](#): > > Based on the l33t skills displayed on [The Official Webpage of The Democratic (snerk) Republic of Korea](http://www.korea-dpr.com/) I have a hard time believing that North Koreans are doing it. I’d put my money on some sort of cyber-mercenaries. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/15 "2009-07-09T03:21:00Z")
> [@clnilsen](#): > > compared it to the [Hunley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Hunley_(submarine)) as the first NATIONAL attack of its kind, from one country on another, distinct from just a rougue element within a country. I don’t see the comparison. _Hunley_ was the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel. THe Civil War had been going on for some time. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/16 "2009-07-09T04:03:51Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > The US has been at cyber-war for several years now. This particular incident is just one that made the media. > > Our agency was targeted by the Chinese a few months back. We won that battle. For some reason I picture the old cyber attacks of yesteryear where people on AOL would IM bomb each other. Heh, those were funny. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2009, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/north-korea-cyber-attacks-the-u-s/502341/17 "2009-07-09T06:43:38Z")
> [@picker](#): > > If it can be proven that it was the North Koreans, I would like to think we would use our own cyber assets to launch a devastating counterattack, loudly and publicly, as both (non-violent) retribution and a deterrent effect to other twits who are considering similar attacks. > > But we’ll never know what, if any, countermeasures are, were or will be taken. I would imagine there’s a few patriotic hackers out there who are pounding ass on anything with a .kp behind it. And I bet the government didn’t even have to ask.