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North Korea refuses to deny Sony Pictures cyber-attack | North Korea refuses to deny Sony Pictures cyber-attack |
(about 9 hours later) | |
North Korea has refused to deny involvement in a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures that came ahead of the release of a film about leader Kim Jong-un. | North Korea has refused to deny involvement in a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures that came ahead of the release of a film about leader Kim Jong-un. |
Sony is investigating after its computers were attacked and unreleased films made available on the internet. | Sony is investigating after its computers were attacked and unreleased films made available on the internet. |
When asked if it was involved in the attack a spokesman for the North Korean government replied: "Wait and see." | When asked if it was involved in the attack a spokesman for the North Korean government replied: "Wait and see." |
In June, North Korea complained to the United Nations and the US over the comedy film The Interview. | In June, North Korea complained to the United Nations and the US over the comedy film The Interview. |
In the movie, Seth Rogen and James Franco play two reporters who are granted an audience with Kim Jong-un. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him. | In the movie, Seth Rogen and James Franco play two reporters who are granted an audience with Kim Jong-un. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him. |
North Korea described the film as an act of war and an "undisguised sponsoring of terrorism", and called on the US and the UN to block it. | North Korea described the film as an act of war and an "undisguised sponsoring of terrorism", and called on the US and the UN to block it. |
California-based Sony Pictures' computer system went down last week and hackers then published a number of as-yet unreleased films on online download sites. | |
Among the titles is a remake of the classic film Annie, which is not due for release until 19 December. | Among the titles is a remake of the classic film Annie, which is not due for release until 19 December. |
The film about North Korea does not appear to have been leaked. | The film about North Korea does not appear to have been leaked. |
When asked about the cyber-attack, a spokesman for North Korea's UN mission said: "The hostile forces are relating everything to the DPRK (North Korea). I kindly advise you to just wait and see." | When asked about the cyber-attack, a spokesman for North Korea's UN mission said: "The hostile forces are relating everything to the DPRK (North Korea). I kindly advise you to just wait and see." |
On Monday, Sony Pictures said it had restored a number of important services that had to be shut down after the attack. | |
It said it was working closely with law enforcement officials to investigate the matter but made no mention of North Korea. | It said it was working closely with law enforcement officials to investigate the matter but made no mention of North Korea. |
The FBI has confirmed that it is investigating. It has also warned other US businesses that unknown hackers have launched a cyber-attack with destructive malware. | |
Analysis: Leo Kelion, technology desk editor | |
Suggestions North Korea could be behind the Sony Pictures hack has drawn incredulity from some, surprised that the "Hermit Kingdom" might be able to pull off such a stunt. | |
In fact, experts say Pyongyang's cyber-skills should not be underestimated. One US government adviser warned last year that North Korean hackers posed "an important 'wild card' threat" to US and international security. | |
Being sure about how far its cyber-capabilities extend isn't easy. A report by Hewlett Packard's security division noted that most North Koreans were restricted to an intranet system, separate from the wider internet, which limits their links to the outside world. | |
But the report noted that the state's education system places special emphasis on mathematics, which has helped it develop skilled programmers, cryptographers and security researchers. | |
According to a report by Al-Jazeera, North Korean defectors have spoken of promising students going on a two-year accelerated university course before heading to China and Russia for a year to hone their hacking skills. | |
A US analyst quoted a defector who claimed to be part of North Korea's Unit 121 hacking squad until he escaped in 2004. He said some operations had been carried out from a Pyongyang-owned hotel in Shenyang, China. | |
According to HP, North Korea's "cyber-warriors" are thought to have carried out a wide variety of attacks, including: | |
However, hacking a major corporation to make threatening demands is not a behaviour that has been linked to North Korea in the past, and the hashtag #GOP (Guardians of Peace) - used in the Sony attack - is not known to have been used by Pyongyang. |