North Korea Attacks British TV Company
A British TV company was hit by a cyber attack yesterday. It is being reported that the TV Company, Channel 4 was making a drama based on North Korea, which brought it in the list of the hackers.
Channel 4 had been receiving criticism from North Korea since they first revealed the details of their show "Opposite Number". The officials from the country even reached out to the British government saying that it is a 'slanderous farce' and the government should pull it to avoid damaging relations.
No damage has been reported so far, but the attack is an alarm to the British government. It is the second time when British entertainment industry has experienced a cyberattack from another country.
In November 2014, Sony Pictures was also attacked by a group called the Guardians of Peace. Although there was no strong evidence, US officials believed that North Korea was behind it. The attack was in retaliation for the comedy film titled "The Interview". It showed the story of a North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, who was assassinated.
The attackers stole some of the emails and released it publicly. Not just this, an important portion of the computer network was also destroyed. With the concern that cinemas could also be attacked, the director later released the flick online.
Needless to say, hackers from North have proved to be increasingly aggressive and adept in past. They have even targeted banks to steal money and media in South Korea. BBC writes that British officials sense that North Korea was also behind the Wannacry ransomware, a virus that crippled the NHS earlier this year.
"Opposite Number" has been shelved for now. The series was expected to be written by Matt Charman - soon to be nominated for Oscars for his script in the film "Bridge of Spies".
