Topic: Breaking News: Sony Pictures Servers Hacked

[Shaymin]

Sports Jeopardy clearly doesn't pay the bills, so let's BURN THAT MOTHER TO THE GROUND.

[Spak-Spang]

You know, you wouldn't have to pay North Korea to do it.  If it was really a fake just hack yourself and release false information then make everyone believe it is true.  Release some movies that wouldn't do great to the public and what not, and it is a great plan.

However, we know the information that was leaked was real, and so it definitely isn't a fake. 

[BranDonk Kong]

The entire internet us down in North Korea. What a shame.

[BlackNMild2k1]

[BranDonk Kong]

It was either him or Anonymous.

[Spak-Spang]

If the US government is really behind the internet outages in North Korea, then that is some pretty scary stuff the US government can do...and we should not be celebrating but concerned because it basically means the government can shut down the internet if it wants to.

[NWR_insanolord]

The best cyber war defense is a good cyber war offense.

[BranDonk Kong]

China controls NK's internet access, so the US couldn't shut it down as easily as China could, at least not with the "flip of a switch." Their access is pretty horrible though, so it probably wouldn't be too hard to physically shut them down.

But really the best cyber defense is a really good cyber defense. A good offense won't protect you at all.

[NWR_insanolord]

A good enough offense gets you mutually assured destruction, and we're not spending enough money on infrastructure to get to the point where we have a legitimately good defense anytime soon anyway.

[BranDonk Kong]

I have friends and colleagues who could attest that as a nation we're pretty good at both. Check out DARPA's Cyber Grand Challenge. One of my professors is on a participating team, pretty interesting and very relevant stuff.

[UncleBob]

[...]the government can shut down the internet if it wants to.

Was there really ever any doubt that they could in the first place?

[NWR_insanolord]

[...]the government can shut down the internet if it wants to.

Was there really ever any doubt that they could in the first place?

The government brought the internet into this world and it can damn sure take it out.

[Spak-Spang]

[...]the government can shut down the internet if it wants to.

Was there really ever any doubt that they could in the first place?

The government brought the internet into this world and it can damn sure take it out.

Yes, but that doesn't mean it should.  Think about the power right there.  Entire economies are dependent on internet business and transactions...that should concern everybody.  Now, I don't believe the government is going to take out the internet...but the fact that it is possible...and possible on a targeted nation scale is pretty scary. 

[NWR_insanolord]

This is the new cold war. The government has to be able to do that because there are other governments able to do it to us. It's not something you want to have to use but you have to have it in your back pocket in case you need it.

[UncleBob]

So, I was thinking - what would a fair response from the US government be to this?

Obviously a military strike isn't something I'd support.

This shutting down of the internet in NK isn't it.  NK doesn't really use the internet like we do.

Oh, they don't use the internet... but what if they *did*?

Let's air-drop, smuggle in, whatever it takes a few million dollars worth of tablets.  Walmart sold cheap-ass basic tablets for $29 each.  They have a population of 24.9 Million (thanks Google).  For less than a billion dollars, we should be able to purchase one basic Android tablet for every person in NK.  Obviously, that's overkill, but you get the picture.  In comparison, we spent between $4 and $6 trillion in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But what good is a tablet without Wifi?  We need to come up with some way to blanket the country with WiFi.

We'll bring free and open internet access to every man, woman and child in NK.

That is how you strike back.

[Spak-Spang]

UncleBob:  I would think an appropriate response would be to support LiNK.  Liberty in North Korea...and help smuggle citizens out of North Korea to freedom.

$2,000 can save a persons life.  Imagine if the government was too support a program like when North Korea acted out and saved hundreds or thousands of lives? 

[NWR_insanolord]

An overt action like that could have very negative side-effects. I can't imagine South Korea would be happy with the U.S. riling up North Korea like that. North Korea can't really do a ton to us, but they can sure as hell cause some **** in South Korea if we piss them off enough.

[Spak-Spang]

Insanolord:  South Koreans know far better than anyone else how much of a joke North Korea is.  It is a fact that the reason they have the largest army in the world is literally every citizen is required to be apart of it...but that means that half the army is starving.  In fact, there was a story not to long ago here in Korea talking about the North Korean Army and how they can't do regular routines of exercise because the army doesn't have the strength for it. 

So South Korea is bailing North Korea out with food and support throughout the year to build up the relationship.  In fact, recently North and South Korea have been trying to slow the propaganda against each other. 

[NWR_insanolord]

And that's a good thing, but I have to imagine the U.S. taking direct action against them would probably hinder that process. It would only serve to agitate an already unstable mess of a country. Also, China would be pretty damn upset, which is honestly the biggest reason we won't do it.

[ShyGuy]

I need to get my satellite into the sky...

[UncleBob]

China would be pretty damn upset, which is honestly the biggest reason we won't do it.

Buying a billion dollars worth of cheap-ass tablets from them would probably soften that blow a little.

[BranDonk Kong]

Everyone in China could get 73 cents, or, a week's pay!

[Ceric]

And that's a good thing, but I have to imagine the U.S. taking direct action against them would probably hinder that process. It would only serve to agitate an already unstable mess of a country. Also, China would be pretty damn upset, which is honestly the biggest reason we won't do it.

I doubt China be as upset as you may think.  They have been gritting teeth with NK for a while. 

[BlackNMild2k1]

Looks like Sony decided to nut up and allow The Interview to be shown in theaters if the theaters want to show it.
http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2014/12/sources-sony-to-ask-theaters-if-they-want-to-open-the-interview-christmas-day-after-all.html/

support your product Sony, don't let NK of all places dictate how you run your business.
what could they possibly have on you that you don't want to see come to light?

[NWR_insanolord]

what could they possibly have on you that you don't want to see come to light?

Especially considering they waited until after the hackers revealed a ton of incriminating **** to make that decision.