The New Vandal

[superbeets]

Analysis: Stephen Evans, BBC News, Seoul

There is a paradox. North Korea is highly "teched up" but is denied the worldwide web. Many people have smart phones, for example, but they cannot access the web with them

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The authorities take great pains to prevent citizens from accessing the internet. Recently, embassies in Pyongyang were told they could not have wifi networks within the building. It transpired that demand for neighbouring property had risen because residents there could get access to the embassies' wifi.


What North Korea does have is an intranet, its own internal internet with a lot of state-controlled news websites disseminating the party line, but also a cookery website.



Ordinary North Koreans are unlikely to notice the absence of the internet because they were denied it anyway. But they might notice the disappearance of their own online newspapers and sources of news. And also the cookery website.

 

[superbeets]

Progressive degradationInternet services were partially restored after nine hours and 31 minutes of disruption, cyber security firm Dyn Research says.

North Korea is highly sensitive to any perceived disrespect for its leader Kim Jong-un, centre




The website for the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and Rodong Sinmun newspaper were back online on Tuesday.


But the recovery looked to be partial and potentially unstable with other websites still inaccessible.



Analysts had said technical problems or a cyber-attack could be to blame.




Doug Madory of Dyn Research said they had seen a progressive degradation of North Korea's connectivity to the outside world until the point at which they were totally offline.





Arbor Networks, an internet technology service, said it had detected denial-of-service attacks against North Korea's infrastructure beginning on Saturday.



Only a small proportion of people have access to the internet in North Korea, one of the world's most secretive countries.


North Korea's internet is handled by state-run company Star Joint Ventures, which in turn is routed through Chinese telecommunications firm China Unicom.



Dyn's chief scientist, James Cowie, told the BBC that if it were indeed an attack, "it would not take a tremendous effort to carry out. It is one connection across the border... to overload the routing infrastructure would probably not require the efforts of a nation-state, it could be just one dedicated person"

 

[Dave007inVegas]

On CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) countered President Obama’s characterization of the hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment as “cyber-vandalism.”
“The president does not understand that this is … a manifestation of a new form of warfare,” McCain told Candy Crowley. “When you destroy economies, when you are able to impose censorship on the world and especially the United States of America, it’s more than vandalism.”
“It’s a new form of warfare that we’re involved in, and we need to react and react vigorously, including reimposing sanctions that were lifted under the Bush administration, including other actions and that will squeeze them for economically. But most of all, we have to really work together with the president and the Congress to come up with counters and abilities to respond, but more importantly to prevent.”

He has no fucking idea either. He just made that up.

McCain needs to retire and get out of the way.

 

[SheriffJoe]

He has no fucking idea either. He just made that up.

McCain needs to retire and get out of the way.

RINO McVain will always be remembered for his eternal gift to the people: "President Obama"

ucking:

 

[superbeets]

The controversial comedy about a fictional plot to kill North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, has been released in some cinemas and online in the United States.
BBC News online readers have been sending in their comments. Here is a selection.







Alina in Los Angeles

Yes, we just finished watching on Google play and we love it - it was better and more intelligent than we expected and really, really hilarious! Just FYI we watched this movie as a support for freedom of speech - we are not normal demographic for this kind of movies. So it was unexpected delight!



Brendan Gee in Olympia, Washington

The film in itself was a great laugh, I thought it was wonderful. In a whole I don't believe that there should have been such a fuss over the release. The film does though point fun at Kim Jong-un. All in all I think it's just another comedy and people shouldn't be so worked up about it.




Christopher in California

I found it to be quite hilarious and entertaining as it really pertains to American humour. I find the row of its release to be quite ridiculous.




Joseph in Texas

I felt like it was a satire on American culture and the US government just as much as it was on North Korea's culture and government. I liked having the option of either seeing it online or at a theatre. Watching it in my own home allowed my friends and me the chance to make commentary and jokes during the film that would have been disruptive at a theatre. Other times I may be more in the mood for an evening out. I hope this multiple venue option becomes the norm for new releases.





Tara McKinney in Germantown, MD

For me, film wise, it's about what I expected from Franco and Rogen. A few humorous lines/bits, some over the top plot, but doesn't get more than a smirk and a random chuckle out of me. My fiance likes their style more, so he enjoyed it much more than me. As for the hype, I was just waiting for Rogen and Franco to come out at the end of the credits and admit it was all one giant marketing ploy. Team America was much worse at insulting North Korea than this was. Not worth the money, in my opinion. But great play by Sony's marketing division.





Kemper Scott in Visalia, VA

The fuss over this film has been completely blown out of proportion. It's a Seth Rogen film. It's funny, a little honest perhaps, but not entirely mean spirited. At the end of the day it's just another Seth Rogen & James Franco buddy comedy with a star-studded cast. And that's exactly how it should be seen. Certainly not as some insane propaganda.





Jay Dranch

I believe that while President Obama was correct about issues of censorship, etc , his sole focus on Sony - the films producer/distributor - was narrow and perhaps even harsh in that there was no criticism of the theatre chains that refused to screen the picture.





Kay in Long Beach

The movie delivers - paced well, funny dialogue. But it's full of crass scat humour, full of teenage boy sex humour, and puppies and Katy Perry. It's wacky and stupid and made me laugh out loud. I loved Seth and James' chemistry. I loved this movie.





Jeanne Paradise in Minneapolis

I will not see the film. I think the concept of a violent death to a world leader by blowing up his head is disgraceful. I will go to mass and support worthwhile causes, not humour from degenerates. It does not reflect American values.







Brace Knox

The most frightening thing to me was witnessing the sissy reaction of my country to being cyber bullied and threatened with violence. The movie was overly crude although it had some good depictions of how easily deception are accomplished. I was disturbed by how low the low brow has gotten and how accepting my teens were of it. I think the movie was harmless to North Korea. And hurt America by exposing how easily frightened we are in a world that is full of true threats.