According to the AP, "the National Intelligence Service (of South Korea) said it has 'various evidence' of North Korean involvement, but cautioned it has yet to reach a final conclusion." The media in the country also speculates that between 500 and 1,000 programmers may have participated in the hacks.
All in all, the information from South Korea sounds like the government is groping the the dark and has very little hard data about the ultimate source of the disruptions and how to prevent them in the future. Computer software securities firms Syamantec (NASDAQ:SYMC) and McAfee (NYSE:MFE) are working on the problem, but there is no guarantee that they can come up with quick and effective solutions.
If North Korea is behind the attacks, they have learned one thing. The actions worked. Many websites In South Korea and the US were either slowed or shut down all together. The rogue government should be encouraged by its success in undermining the Internet in nations which it considers its enemies. No doubt that mean that these attacks are almost certainly not over.
Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.
