The NSA was already tracking the North Korean hackers that brought down Sony Pictures

[Justin Kahn]

Following the attack on Sony Pictures in November, the US government was quick to point fingers at North Korean hackers. This is because the NSA has been tracking them with malware for years now, according to new reports.

Some were critical of how fast the US was to blame Pyongyang for the attacks that left Sony Pictures on its knees, but a new report from The New York Times suggests the National Security Agency had been secretly following the North Korean attackers in question from as early as 2010. The report, which cites various experts in the field along with leaked documents courtesy of infamous former NSA agent Edward Snowden, also brings new information on how the hackers pulled it off even though the US was apparently already watching.

Individuals close to the investigation say the hackers spent two months on Sony’s network without raising alarms due to the somewhat simple nature of the phishing scams used to obtain private credentials, among other things. The group was also able to acquire the credentials of a Sony system administrator without US agencies noticing, giving them free reigns to set up shop and carry out the attack.

Further evidence of Pyongyang’s involvement came earlier this month when the FBI said it could see the IP addresses were those used exclusively by the North Koreans, adding that at times they could even see them connect “directly.”  

Despite having proof of previous major attacks by North Korean hackers and being fully aware of its issues with “The Interview,” the US government failed to mention any suspicions during a June meeting with Sony Pictures, according to reports. 

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https://www.techspot.com/news/59449-nsa-already-tracking-north-korean-hackers-brought-down.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

So why didn't those NSA goons say something to avoid all the drama? Were they afraid they'd be falsely accused of spying or were they afraid they might tarnish their squeaky clean reputation?

 

[insect]

So why didn't those NSA goons say something to avoid all the drama? Were they afraid they'd be falsely accused of spying or were they afraid they might tarnish their squeaky clean reputation?

Probably didn't care. Not the government's job to protect companies from hackers - that was Sony's IT job. Unless lives were at risk, the government doesn't have an obligation to mention it or do anything about it.

 

[captaincranky]

So why didn't those NSA goons say something to avoid all the drama? Were they afraid they'd be falsely accused of spying or were they afraid they might tarnish their squeaky clean reputation?

C'mon dude, because if they told them they were spying, then the North Koreans would have started whispering, thereby foiling all of the NSA's plans.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

So why didn't those NSA goons say something to avoid all the drama? Were they afraid they'd be falsely accused of spying or were they afraid they might tarnish their squeaky clean reputation?

Probably didn't care. Not the government's job to protect companies from hackers - that was Sony's IT job. Unless lives were at risk, the government doesn't have an obligation to mention it or do anything about it.

Exactly... the NSA would prioritize keeping their methods a secret over protecting Sony from having some embarrassing emails read about some movie stars. I'd bet when North Korea hacks into a company in the US that supplies the DoD, the NSA gets very involved.

 

[Hexic]

That's the next logical step. Military defense contractors would be the big target there. Although it would be a more complex task (with a larger fallout) to compromise the majority of those systems.

Possible, nonetheless.

 

[captaincranky]

That's the next logical step. Military defense contractors would be the big target there. Although it would be a more complex task (with a larger fallout) to compromise the majority of those systems.

Possible, nonetheless.

When you say, "larger fallout", was that pun intended....?

 

[oneofmetwo]

So why didn't those NSA goons say something to avoid all the drama? Were they afraid they'd be falsely accused of spying or were they afraid they might tarnish their squeaky clean reputation?

C'mon dude, because if they told them they were spying, then the North Koreans would have started whispering, thereby foiling all of the NSA's plans.

I love that you said "foiling".

 

[oneofmetwo]

So why didn't those NSA goons say something to avoid all the drama? Were they afraid they'd be falsely accused of spying or were they afraid they might tarnish their squeaky clean reputation?

Probably didn't care. Not the government's job to protect companies from hackers - that was Sony's IT job. Unless lives were at risk, the government doesn't have an obligation to mention it or do anything about it.

So why didn't those NSA goons say something to avoid all the drama? Were they afraid they'd be falsely accused of spying or were they afraid they might tarnish their squeaky clean reputation?

Probably didn't care. Not the government's job to protect companies from hackers - that was Sony's IT job. Unless lives were at risk, the government doesn't have an obligation to mention it or do anything about it.

"Unless lives were at risk" <- This isn't a doctor-patient confidentiality agreement. You just made that up. NSA stands for National Security Agency. North Korea is from outside the nation. Sony was attacked within our nation. The NSA did nothing to stop the attack. The NSA is an obese money sucking lump of anti-democratic detritus.

 

[Runt1me]

"..US government was quick to point fingers.."
meaning those they're pointing fingers at were probably not to blame.

So now most are talking about how NK did hack sony, it's now an accepted fact in any discussion just because of all the different angles being trickled into the media to keep it on our minds 'they did'.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Probably didn't care. Not the government's job to protect companies from hackers - that was Sony's IT job. Unless lives were at risk, the government doesn't have an obligation to mention it or do anything about it.

"Unless lives were at risk?". Weren't they threatening to blow up 9/10th of the USA If the movie was screened? It may not have sounded like lives were at risk to the government but it sure sounded like lives were at risk to everybody else. Maybe their perception of 'life threatening' is different to the norm.

 

[captaincranky]

"Unless lives were at risk?". Weren't they threatening to blow up 9/10th of the USA If the movie was screened? It may not have sounded like lives were at risk to the government but it sure sounded like lives were at risk to everybody else. Maybe their perception of 'life threatening' is different to the norm.

That would have worked out nicely, as probably 90% of the USA is farmland. So, if they really wanted to blow something up, the raw, raw material for fertilizer bombs would be directly at hand.

That notwithstanding, they really wouldn't have to blow anything up, just go out after dark and tip over all the cows....(y)

 

[captaincranky]

"..US government was quick to point fingers.."
meaning those they're pointing fingers at were probably not to blame.

So now most are talking about how NK did hack sony, it's now an accepted fact in any discussion just because of all the different angles being trickled into the media to keep it on our minds 'they did'.

You should march right over the North Korea, and tell Kim Jong Un exactly what you just told us! And take Dennis Rodman with you. You'll need some 'intellectual stimulation', it's a very long trip.

 

[cliffordcooley]

"Unless lives were at risk?". Weren't they threatening to blow up 9/10th of the USA If the movie was screened?

That was after the fact, if my timeline is in order. All the NSA surveillance and hacking in question was done prior to that incident. By the time the threats was made there was nothing the NSA could have done to stop the drama.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

That was after the fact, if my timeline is in order. All the NSA surveillance and hacking in question was done prior to that incident. By the time the threats was made there was nothing the NSA could have done to stop the drama.

We're only allowed to know what the powers that be tell us. It wouldn't be the 1st time wars were started because of clandestine government manipulation. WW 2 was ignited because the Nazi's attacked one of their own broadcast stations and blamed it on the Poles.

 

[insect]

"Unless lives were at risk" <- This isn't a doctor-patient confidentiality agreement. You just made that up. NSA stands for National Security Agency. North Korea is from outside the nation. Sony was attacked within our nation. The NSA did nothing to stop the attack. The NSA is an obese money sucking lump of anti-democratic detritus.

https://www.nsa.gov/about/mission/

No where does it say anything about that.

"The Information Assurance mission confronts the formidable challenge of preventing foreign adversaries from gaining access to sensitive or classified national security information."

I doubt Sony has anything like that, considering what was leaked.

As for my reference to lives - aside from running the country via laws, regulations, etc. - I believe it to be a chief duty of the U.S. government/military to protect American lives (why else have a military?). Once NK made threats, the government did act via additional sanctions and likely several other actions out of the public eye, such as possibly executing our own cyber attack.

 

[Hexic]

When you say, "larger fallout", was that pun intended....?

Not originally, but I suppose it could apply.. hah.