US Stuxnet Attack Against N. Korea Failed

nuclear_plant_reuters.jpg?itok=PUyeS74u

Yongbyon, N. Korea

The United States tried to deploy a version of the Stuxnet computer virus to attack North Korea's nuclear weapons program five years ago but ultimately failed, according to people familiar with the covert campaign.

The operation began in tandem with the now-famous Stuxnet attack that sabotaged Iran's nuclear program in 2009 and 2010 by destroying a thousand or more centrifuges that were enriching uranium. Reuters and others have reported that the Iran attack was a joint effort by US and Israeli forces.

According to one US intelligence source, Stuxnet's developers produced a related virus that would be activated when it encountered Korean-language settings on an infected machine.

But US agents could not access the core machines that ran Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, said another source, a former high-ranking intelligence official who was briefed on the program.

The official said the National Security Agency-led campaign was stymied by North Korea's utter secrecy, as well as the extreme isolation of its communications systems. 

North Korea has some of the most isolated communications networks in the world. Just owning a computer requires police permission, and the open Internet is unknown except to a tiny elite. The country has one main conduit for Internet connections to the outside world, through China. In contrast, Iranians surfed the Net broadly and had interactions with companies from around the globe.

A spokeswoman for the NSA declined to comment. The spy agency has previously declined to comment on the Stuxnet attack against Iran.

The Stuxnet campaign against Iran, which was code-named Olympic Games, was discovered in 2010. It remains unclear how the virus was introduced to the Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz, which was not connected to the Internet.
According to cybersecurity experts, Stuxnet was found inside industrial companies in Iran that were tied to the nuclear effort. As for how Stuxnet got there, a leading theory is that it was deposited by a sophisticated espionage program developed by a team closely allied to Stuxnet's authors, dubbed the Equation Group by researchers at Kaspersky Lab.
The US effort got that far in North Korea as well. Though no versions of Stuxnet have been reported as being discovered in local computers, Kaspersky Lab analyst Costin Raiu said that a piece of software related to Stuxnet had turned up in North Korea.

Some experts said that even if a Stuxnet attack against North Korea had succeeded, it might not have had that big an impact on its nuclear weapons program. Iran's nuclear sites were well known, whereas North Korea probably has at least one other facility beyond the known Yongbyon nuclear complex, former officials and inspectors said.

Reuters:  

« Stegosploit Hidden Image Code is the Future of Online Attacks
FBI, Europol and NCA Want Global Approach to Fighting Cyber-Crime »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

IT Governance

IT Governance

IT Governance is a leading global provider of information security solutions. Download our free guide and find out how ISO 27001 can help protect your organisation's information.

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

Authentic8

Authentic8

Authentic8 transforms how organizations secure and control the use of the web with Silo, its patented cloud browser.

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

Pro2col Limited

Pro2col Limited

Pro2col is an independent consultancy specialising in secure managed file transfer solutions.

BIA

BIA

BIA's TotalDiscovery is a defensible and cost-effective corporate preservation and legal compliance software solution.

CloudSigma

CloudSigma

CloudSigma, a pure-cloud IaaS provider offers flexible and innovative cloud hosting solutions for companies of all sizes both in Europe and the US.

Zymr

Zymr

Zymr specialize in cloud computing solutions including Cloud Security, Cloud Mobility, Cloud Apps, Cloud Infrastructure and Cloud Orchestration.

National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO)

National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO)

NASCIO's Cybersecurity Committee focuses helps state CIOs to formulate high-level security and data protection policies and technical controls.

CryptTalk

CryptTalk

CryptTalk is an easy-to-use secure communication service.

Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN)

Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN)

CyAN provides a not-for-profit platform that helps private and public organisations as well as governments to identify trusted advisors in the area of Cyber Security and Cyber Crime.

QSecure

QSecure

QSecure specializes in the provision of information security and risk management services.

Cyber Intelligence (CI)

Cyber Intelligence (CI)

Cyber Intelligence is an award winning 'MSC status' cyber security education and training company.

NEARBY

NEARBY

NEARBY is a cyber security consulting firm and solutions provider offering a range of products an services including Managed Security Service (CyberFortress), Security Assessments and Training.

Sponge

Sponge

Cybersecurity Sorted by Sponge is a seriously engaging training game to make your staff the first line of defence against cyber threats.

BeyondTrust

BeyondTrust

BeyondTrust is a leader in Privileged Access Management, offering a seamless approach to preventing data breaches related to stolen credentials, misused privileges, and compromised remote access.

Blue Hexagon

Blue Hexagon

Blue Hexagon is a deep learning innovator focused on protecting organizations from cyberthreats.

Bloc Ventures

Bloc Ventures

Bloc Ventures is an investment company providing long-term, ‘patient’ equity capital to early stage unquoted deep technology companies.

Kriptos

Kriptos

Kriptos helps businesses improve their cybersecurity, risk, and compliance strategies by locating critical information through a technology that automatically classifies and labels documents using AI.

Gotham Security

Gotham Security

Gotham Security delivers high-quality penetration testing, malicious adversary simulation, compliance program development, and threat intelligence services.