2 January 2015

NEW THEORY EMERGES: SECURITY EXPERTS WHO ANALYZED SONY HACK CLAIM CULPRIT IS RUSSIAN — NOT NORTH KOREAN

December 28, 2014

New Theory Emerges: Security Experts Who Analyzed Sony Hack Claim Culprit Is Russian — Not North Korean

Joel Christie and Chris Spargo, writing in the December 28, 2014 edition of TheDailyMailOnline, note that “a new theory has emerged that downplays North Korea’s involvement in the Sony hack and instead — fingers Russian hackers instead — based on a linguistics examination of leaked emails. Cyber security experts believe “the origins of now infamous Guardians of Peace are Russian after analyzing 1,600 words attached to a Sony emails that the hacking group leaked to a variety of media outlets.”

TheDailyMailOnline reports that they were investigated by a Seattle-based cyber security firm — Taia Global. “Our preliminary results show that Sony’s attackers were most likely Russian, possibly not likely Korean, and definitely not Mandarin Chinese, or German,” the company wrote in a Christmas Eve blog post, according to the New York Daily News. The firm concluded that their analysis did not absolve North Korea of any involvement in the hack, — but, they believe that placing the blame on Pyongyang is misguided. Taia Global analyzed 15-20 phrasings in the emails matched Russia language. Nine phrases matched Korean, none were Mandarin nor German.

According to the cyber analytical firm – Deadline – a group called The Lizard Squad, is taking credit for shutting down Sony’s PlayStation network on Christmas Day.

Keep it simple stupid. Conspiracy theories abound. But, it usually is more simple — most of the time — than we often think. And, Taia Global failed to provide convincing evidence — at least as far as I can tell – to substantiate their claim that the Sony hack likely had Russian ‘fingerprints’ on it. North Korea had the means, the motive, and the ability to carry out this kind of hack — and, it probably did — unless and until compelling evidence to the contrary is presented. V/R, RCP

Joel Christie and Chris Spargo, writing in the December 28, 2014 edition of TheDailyMailOnline, note that “a new theory has emerged that downplays North Korea’s involvement in the Sony hack and instead — fingers Russian hackers instead — based on a linguistics examination of leaked emails. Cyber security experts believe “the origins of now infamous Guardians of Peace are Russian after analyzing 1,600 words attached to a Sony emails that the hacking group leaked to a variety of media outlets.”

TheDailyMailOnline reports that they were investigated by a Seattle-based cyber security firm — Taia Global. “Our preliminary results show that Sony’s attackers were most likely Russian, possibly not likely Korean, and definitely not Mandarin Chinese, or German,” the company wrote in a Christmas Eve blog post, according to the New York Daily News. The firm concluded that their analysis did not absolve North Korea of any involvement in the hack, — but, they believe that placing the blame on Pyongyang is misguided. Taia Global analyzed 15-20 phrasings in the emails matched Russia language. Nine phrases matched Korean, none were Mandarin nor German.

According to the cyber analytical firm – Deadline – a group called The Lizard Squad, is taking credit for shutting down Sony’s PlayStation network on Christmas Day.

Keep it simple stupid. Conspiracy theories abound. But, it usually is more simple — most of the time — than wse often think. North Korea had the means, the motive, and the ability to carry out this kind of hack — and, it probably did — unless and until compelling evidence to the contrary is presented. V/R, RCP

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