North Korea Unlashes Cyber Attack on U.S.

LOOKS like we may have a new upstart in the shadowy world of cyber-warfare: North Korea.

Yes, that's right, fingers are pointing at North Korea as the perp in a spate of cyber-strikes against both South Korean and American government targets, beginning around July 4.

The more than 25 targets in the cyber-crosshairs reportedly included the White House, Pentagon, State Department and US Treasury. Similar targets were struck in South Korea.

It may seem unbelievable that Pyongyang could be behind these attacks; most such sallies originate in China or Russia these days.

But more than 100 nations are involved in offensive/defensive cyber ops today, some having significant punch, including computer-network attack and government/industrial espionage.

Indeed, it makes perfect sense for Pyongyang to take the plunge.

First and foremost, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reportedly has an eager interest in information technology.

And it's cheap and easy. A laptop, access to the Internet and a reasonably good programmer are all you need to generate enough spam to crash a network in a basic denial-of-service attack, which the recent assaults appear to be.

Analysts think North Korea has developed a small unit of perhaps 1,000 cyber-soldiers involved in offensive computer operations as a way of being a continuing pest to its sworn enemies, America and South Korea. While cyber-warfare isn't a nuclear or missile test, it's a way to ruffle feathers.

Plus, it could also be useful in wartime. For instance, shutting off the lights in an electrical-grid attack or switching off a nation's air-traffic-control system would certainly distract a commander-in-chief.

It's also curious these attacks began over the July 4 weekend -- just as North Korea launched a slew of ballistic missiles in another show of defiance against the international community.

Recently, it's been reported that Kim chose his son Kim Jong Un to succeed him as ruler of the "Kim-dom" when he goes, which could be soon.

The younger Kim, like his father when he was being groomed, is now in charge of the intelligence apparatus. This cyber-assault could be the heir's way of showing his mettle to dear old Dad.

While this attack was relatively unsophisticated, a cyber-warfare capability certainly puts a new asymmetric arrow in North Korea's quiver -- which should, at a minimum, serve as another wake-up call about this here-and-now threat to our national security.

Peter Brooks, NY Post, 7/9/09