"IP addresses are insufficient evidence against North Korea"

The evidence that the United States against North Korea when it comes to the hack of Sony is weak, says a security expert who analyzed the IP addresses used in the attack. Last week, the FBI said in an official statement that the Asian country was responsible for the intrusion on the network of Sony Pictures Entertainment, the theft of all data and sabotage of thousands of computers.

However, the FBI is careful in the words chosen, says security expert and blogger " krypt3ia ". He sees in the choice of words that the investigative unsure. Initially the attack was linked not to North Korea by the FBI, and is now said that the country is the culprit. "Something that makes people like me crazy," he notes. The expert therefore decided to look at the IP addresses used by the malware and introduced himself, the question of whether the resources are to be used or used only by North Korea.

IP Addresses

The IP addresses that the attackers used are from Thailand, Poland, Italy, Bolivia, Singapore, Cyprus and the United States.These include for which proxies and servers can be used by anyone. For one of the servers Krypt3ia found the credentials on a Chinese forum. The IP addresses appeared more frequently used for other cybercrime activities such as sending spam and controlling compromised computers.

"If all IP addresses are used by the US as evidence that North Korea has carried out this attack, I think the evidence is weak," said the expert. Most of these systems are in fact well-known compromised machines that are used for all kinds of cyber crime purposes. Also, many of these types of compromised servers are shared by attackers with each other.

North Korea has used such tactics in the past, according to the expert circumstantial evidence that is inadmissible in court.However, Obama announced that the US will take appropriate action against North Korea. The expert then also questions whether the US base their theoretical response on circumstantial evidence, which he makes reference to the so-called weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Further, according to the expert whether there because of a break-in at a single entertainment company in Hollywood should be acted upon at the state level. "When I go to Twitter and the news I see is marketing hype and unjustified award ... and it will lead to our mutual destruction," concluded the blogger.

Attackers Sony used password system

The attackers knew the network from Sony to break used the stolen password of an administrator, so claim US researchers on the basis of evidence found via the password the attackers had access to the entire Sony network.

The discovery is one of the reasons why the researchers think that the attack on Sony's done with the help of an employee, so let officers across CNN know. The US authorities have now declared the attack a matter of national security. According to CNN, Washington will be today North Korea blame designate behind the attack.

Security expert Jeffrey Carr argues that the US should provide evidence first before it can be assumed that North Korea is actually behind the attack. He himself has serious doubts about this. "My advice to journalists, managers, policy makers and the public to doubt everything you hear on the granting of cyber attacks. There is no concrete evidence and possible indicators that can not be verified."

Even Kim Zetter of Wired published an article why the evidence against North Korea is thin. The film would also "The Interview" have been no reason for the attack. The film was the first announcement is not mentioned by the attackers. The fact that the malware on a computer with a Korean language is compiled does not say anything. Setter outlines two scenarios then who is behind the attack. Possibly it is a group of people who, like Anonymous operate, or there were several groups with different motives that had access to the Sony network.