Back in May a ransomware attack struck nearly a quarter million computers around the world. It was dubbed “WannyCry”. Fortunately, no one died although, since British National Health was heavily affected, it had that potential. It seems to me that if this, from a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Thomas Bossert, is true:
Cybersecurity isn’t easy, but simple principles still apply. Accountability is one, cooperation another. They are the cornerstones of security and resilience in any society. In furtherance of both, and after careful investigation, the U.S. today publicly attributes the massive “WannaCry†cyberattack to North Korea.
The attack spread indiscriminately across the world in May. It encrypted and rendered useless hundreds of thousands of computers in hospitals, schools, businesses and homes. While victims received ransom demands, paying did not unlock their computers. It was cowardly, costly and careless. The attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible.
We do not make this allegation lightly. It is based on evidence. We are not alone with our findings, either. Other governments and private companies agree. The United Kingdom attributes the attack to North Korea, and Microsoft traced the attack to cyber affiliates of the North Korean government.
The consequences and repercussions of WannaCry were beyond economic. The malicious software hit computers in the U.K.’s health-care sector particularly hard, compromising systems that perform critical work. These disruptions put lives at risk.
at the very least it should redirect the conversation on North Korea. IMO it strongly suggests that North Korea is not deterrable, it will do what it cares to when it cares to, and there’s little that can be done about it as long as the Kim regime is in charge.
This is when you need someone with balls. Someone should call Xinping an tell him “if your boy does this again, we are cutting you off from the internet. We should also go ahead and cut off any access North Korea might already have.
Steve
Steve imagine major donors Apple, Facebook, Google would get quite cross when their biggest market is unavailable not to mention there is no magic switch.
So, as i see it we can continue the careful dance/threat display that is diplomacy. Currentily, the alternative involves mass graves in South Korea, an irradiated Japanese metro area, etc.
walt- This hit Europe too. Good point that the donor class will probably oppose this, but dead people in hospitals due to NK cyber attacks will be hard to ignore. If the US and Europe both agree to this (HUGE if), what exactly is China going to do? The potential financial costs here are huge for them. Do they risk that just so their client state can keep attacking computers? I don’t much ROI here for China.
Steve
What will the Chinese do, re route internet traffic via their Russian interlinks is the easy way, followed by hmm labor disruptions at Foxconn, et al, maybe a strike or two started by the old Wobblies in the Longshoreman’s Union, peace demonstrations in Japan, the ROK and US West Coast , etc.
The thing to keep in mind is any military action will result in mass causalities in the ROK and probably Japan. Strong economic sanctions on China can be counter productive because of our dependence on their factories and markets.
Most North Korean Internet access is via China these days.
Before this post drops out of the front page.
Here is an interesting article from the South China Morning Post. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2125127/kim-jong-uns-rejection-fathers-pledge-led-north-korean
My take is this is the clearest sign yet that Beijing is going to read the Riot Act if North Korea keeps on its current path.