North Korea says linking cyber attacks to Pyongyang is 'ridiculous'

[rooster59]

North Korea says linking cyber attacks to Pyongyang is 'ridiculous'

By Michelle Nichols

 

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea's deputy United Nations envoy said on Friday "it is ridiculous" to link Pyongyang with the WannaCry "ransomware" cyber attack that started to sweep around the globe a week ago or the hacking of a U.N. expert monitoring sanctions violations.

 

WannaCry has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 nations. It threatens to lock out victims who have not paid a ransom within one week of infection. French researchers said on Friday they had found a last-chance way to save encrypted files.

 

"Relating to the cyber attack, linking to the DPRK, it is ridiculous," North Korea's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Kim In Ryong told a news conference when asked if Pyongyang was involved in the global WannaCry attack or the U.N. hack.

 

North Korea is also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

 

"Whenever something strange happens, it is the stereotype way of the United States and the hostile forces that kick off noisy anti-DPRK campaign deliberately linking with DPRK," Kim said.

 

Symantec <SYMC.O> and Kaspersky Lab said on Monday that some code in an earlier version of the WannaCry software had also appeared in programs used by the Lazarus Group, which researchers from many companies have identified as a North Korea-run hacking operation.

 

A spokesman for the Italian mission to the United Nations, which chairs the U.N. Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, said on Friday that a member of the U.N. panel of experts who monitor sanctions violations had been hacked.

 

No further details on the extent of the hack or who might be responsible were immediately available.

 

The U.N. Security Council first imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006 and has strengthened the measures in response to the country's five nuclear tests and two long-range rocket launches. Pyongyang is threatening a sixth nuclear test.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-20

[jerojero]

Yes for sure as N.Korea knows admits it's incompetent in such activities!

[daveAustin]

I agree, it's ridiculous. I mean, how could one orchestrate such an attack on dialup?

[ezzra]

N. Korea, a country akin to a barrel full of mad monkeys... that no one can even begins to predict what the chief baboon will do next....

[hawker9000]

"Ridiculous"?  Well, that's certainly N Korea's specialty!  'MUST'VE been them!  Something outside the box needs to be done about fatboy before he creates a radioactive problem the whole world will end up having to "solve" ...

[elgordo38]

When the rest of the world is putting the squeeze on you cutting off your financial lifelines a little ransom would be in order. No wonder bitcoin is climbing in value. 

[elgordo38]

Quote 

North Korea says linking cyber attacks to Pyongyang is 'ridiculous' unquote

They are using as the say in football the Fred Flintstone play. 

[Fulwell53]

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

N. Korea, a country akin to a barrel full of mad monkeys... that no one can even begins to predict what the chief baboon will do next....

Fancy labelling trump a baboon ( sic).

Harsh but fair mind you

[baboon]

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

N. Korea, a country akin to a barrel full of mad monkeys... that no one can even begins to predict what the chief baboon will do next....

Enough talk of baboons.

That aside, there are a number of Pyongyang watchers who can indeed predict what their likely course of action will be next. The whole 'Wild' and 'Unpredictable' carry on is just ratings / click bait, designed for those with a two or three minute attention span. Think of the whole host of baddies which also need to be included in order to keep folks constantly scared and on edge...