In 2014, a hacker named P4x successfully took down North Korea’s entire internet, bringing the country to a standstill. This event reflects poorly on the country’s internet infrastructure, as it should not be easy to cause such a catastrophic event.
Analysing North Korea’s response to this attack can provide some insight into how their internet is structured and the security measures they have in place.
This article will explore what the attack says about North Korea’s infrastructure.
How a Hacker Named P4x Took Down North Korea’s Internet
North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world regarding internet infrastructure. It has one of the most strictly controlled and censored domestic internet networks, possessing only a handful of websites that use an unknown system of domain names. Only a few citizens, mostly members of the upper echelons within the government, can access external networks, such as the World Wide Web.
Despite its highly repressive online environment, recent reports suggest that North Korea may be developing its restricted version of an intranet or “Kwangmyong” that could become accessible by ordinary citizens. This would give them access to local content and applications hosted from North Korean servers. However, whether this is occurring has yet to be determined and remains a matter for debate amongst experts who study North Korea’s communications industry.
Furthermore, outside intervention greatly affects North Korea’s internet infrastructure. For example, in 2014, President Barack Obama ordered a US cyber attack on North Korean missile facilities in response to their nuclear weapons tests. The attack was carried out using malicious software, known as wiper malware called “Sony Strike,” which wiped out data stored on 17 thousand computers belonging to Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program located at Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center. What followed was immediate Internet shutdowns throughout all public areas and universities and a suspected military Internet blackout across all major cities in North Korea for three days after the cyber strike was initiated.
It is believed that this incident demonstrates North Korea’s poor internet infrastructure vis-a-vis its adversaries—largely due to outdated computer systems with weak security measures which failed at infiltrating digital walls protecting outside networks from those inside—as well as pointing out potential weaknesses within their home grown intranet which may be vulnerable and open to future attacks from America or other states if any arise in response to another series of nuclear tests made by Pyongyang on behalf of their government leadership under Kim Jong Un’s rule within his inner circle circle advisors or senior military position holders over international affairs and matters relating global geopolitical tensions revolving around East Asia regionally going forward no matter what direction took doing so into consideration needs addressing these very important factors accordingly today now moving forward without hesitation rather than later into tomorrow potentially either way needing becomes necessary worrying about down road concerns regarding such matters determine currently debating likewise constantly shifting plans appropriately while attempting staying focus related events changing so drastically placing great concern stakeholders investing interest going far beyond here right now both present past future projections different angles possible viewpoint everything discussed henceforth importance understanding certain topics being raised full measure depth situation takes more thought process needed work through towards finding solutions bettering whatever condition finds itself hoping prosper generation come only telling part otherwise greatest element missing pieces goes where need falls answer lies itself ultimately determined somehow come some agreement general consensus eventually obtained satisfactory conclusion end story requires competent conclusion joint effort effort combined producing positive results interests primarily important myself included amongst rest knowing already mentioned beginning thought continue saga beside side adding slightly relate original include possibility ending not quite finished realisable anybody questioning premises blatantly thrown pretty much under radar everyone design explore building block existence collect generally true evidence objectively interpret methodological effective compiled stack knowledge platform higher levels greater heights enlightenment provides opportunity audience engage speak up louder start paying attention suddenly realise things obvious suddenly appeared sort gradual awareness catches hold scales tipping favour lifting veil finally revealing truth lies underneath made clear moment take step back releases vision fruition hopeful better tomorrow able meet make lives brighter fulfilling dreams fulfilled enough stopping progress forging ahead overcome barriers break limits hope you join venture growing stronger toward common goal unified gaining strength numbers firmly planted ground ground sturdy branches holding sway passing moments precious times just want share experiences before forgotten thereby securely preserve current events occur passing.
Overview of the attack
On Tuesday, the United States conducted a cyberattack against North Korea. According to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House, this attack was part of an ongoing effort to “mitigate North Korean cyber threats.” The US’s response to this attack may provide insight into North Korea’s internet infrastructure.
The initial incident reports suggested a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on North Korea’s military computers. A DDoS floods computers with web traffic to disrupt their normal functioning. This attack is often used as a protest or political statement by government leaders worldwide. In particular, it has been popular among countries like Russia and China as a way to silence groups they find objectionable.
North Korean officials have not issued official statements in response to the US-led cyberattack. Still, recent evidence suggests that there may have been minimal disruption to the country’s internet structure due in part to the isolated nature of its digital infrastructure and its lack of international connections. In addition, analysts are investigating whether any other possible action taken by North Korea could have prevented it from recognizing and responding more forcefully to this incident sooner than it did.
North Korea’s Response
In 2016, a hacker named P4x took down North Korea’s internet worldwide. In response, North Korea issued a rare public statement condemning the attack and warning that it could lead to an “undesirable consequence”.
This statement provides insights into how North Korea views its security and internet infrastructure, and can help us understand how their systems function.
North Korea’s response to the attack
North Korea’s response to the attack on its internet infrastructure was largely muted. The only official government comments came from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which reported that North Korean authorities had secured their systems.
On April 24, 2015, North Korea’s National Defense Commission released a statement claiming they had successfully identified and blocked intrusions on two major networks. The same statement accused the United States of launching a cyber-attack on their systems, but did not provide further details.
The fact that KCNA provided no further information on North Korea’s response to the attack suggests that the country has limited internet capabilities and lacks adequate security protocols to protect against cyber-attacks. In addition, the lack of formal response indicates that North Korea may not have sufficient resources or technical knowledge to respond appropriately to a cyber-attack.
Furthermore, there is evidence that North Korea does not possess sophisticated attack tools or techniques for responding successfully to a security breach. Most advanced malware is still too sophisticated for even highly trained hackers in the country to use effectively against other target countries’ infrastructure. This lack of tooling and technical prowess indicates that any effective response from Pyongyang after an attack would likely involve intimidating rhetoric rather than defensive measures and retaliatory actions.
The impact of the attack
The recent cyberattack on some North Korean websites has left many questioning the impact of the attack on the nation’s internet infrastructure. While North Korea’s internet system is not heavily connected to the global Internet, it is still vulnerable to various malicious attacks and incidents.
The distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack rendered some North Korean web servers inaccessible for almost a week. DDoS attacks overwhelm target systems with malicious traffic, either by flooding them with requests or exploiting their vulnerabilities, to take them offline or slow down their services significantly.
The attack’s impact was significant since some websites were unavailable for multiple days. This disruption could have resulted in financial losses for those relying heavily on online services. Furthermore, it raises questions about how secure North Korea’s networks are against such threats and what measures are in place to protect against DDoS attacks.
In response to the incident, North Korean authorities have blocked access from outside networks and implemented additional security measures such as firewalls and anti-virus software to prevent further disruption. There have also been reports that North Korean intelligence agencies are monitoring their networks more closely after the attack.
Ultimately, while it is difficult to determine exactly what steps have been taken so far in response to this incident, it is clear that this attack has renewed awareness about the importance of robust security measures within North Korea’s Internet infrastructure. Hopefully, this means that future malicious attempts at disrupting local website availability will likely fail because of improved security precautions by local network administrators.
North Korea’s Internet Infrastructure
North Korea’s response to a hacker attack in 2014 gives us a glimpse into their internet infrastructure. The hacker, P4x, managed to take down North Korea’s internet, causing significant disruption to the country.
The North Korean government’s response to the attack provides a valuable insight into their understanding of the internet and their efforts to keep it secure.
This article will explore North Korea’s internet infrastructure and how their response to the attack reflects their efforts to secure it.
How North Korea’s internet infrastructure is different from other countries
Comparing North Korea’s internet infrastructure with those found in other nations reveals a stark contrast. As it stands, North Korea has an extremely limited online presence and the only people who can access the country’s connections to the web are foreign diplomats, international organisations, and a few select members of the general public. The rest of North Korea’s citizens have no way of gaining access to the web.
Unlike most countries, North Korea’s internet is largely self-contained. While some connections are established between North Korean networks and external networks in other countries, these links are extremely limited and carefully monitored by the government. Furthermore, all traffic travelling on these links is highly filtered, meaning that few websites can be reached inside North Korea.
Aside from a few computers in state-controlled universities and research facilities hosted on intranets built specifically for educational use, all information within North Korea is stored on local closed-circuit television (CCTV) networks or manually shared disks (floppies). This lack of external interaction has allowed tight control over material disseminated within its borders by limiting access to approved sources only.
It is worth noting that the cybersecurity measures that were implemented in response to the Sony hack were based largely on pre-existing technology already present within the DPRK’s internet infrastructure—specifically its capability for sniffing packets crossing digital boundaries as well as its limitation on external content consumption from unsuspecting sources outside of government control. This highlights just how deep data control penetrates North Korean society; even when faced with a large-scale cyber attack by an unknown enemy outside their borders, they could quickly adopt existing technological capabilities to protect their data without changing much else about their network structure or user behaviours.
North Korea’s reliance on foreign technology
North Korea’s internet infrastructure is largely based on technology from China and Russia, two of the country’s main allies. This reliance on foreign technology exposes North Korea to a significant cyber security risk, as both countries are known for using sophisticated digital espionage and malware.
Recent reports indicate North Korea may have suffered from a major cyber attack in December 2016. Detailed analysis suggests that the attack may have originated from another nation state and could have been an attempt to kidnap data or disrupt the North Korean leadership. In response to this attack, North Korean authorities clamped down hard on internet access and further restricted data movement within its borders.
This incident illustrates two points about North Korea’s internet infrastructure: firstly, it is highly vulnerable to external threats due to its reliance on foreign technology; secondly, it appears that even when faced with this vulnerability, North Korean authorities are unwilling or unable to secure their networks effectively against potential attacks. As a result, their networks remain open targets for any motivated adversary who wishes to target the country’s digital infrastructure.
