The failure of the missile launch by North Korea may have been caused by US cyber attack
17.4.2017 securityaffairs CyberWar

The failure of the missile launch made the North Korea may have been thwarted by a cyber attack powered by the US Cyber Command.
The crisis between the US and North Korea is increasing, Donald Trump warns his military may ‘have no choice’ to strike the rogue state.

According to The Sun, US cyber soldiers may have hacked the control system of the rocket causing the failure of the launch.
The nuclear test ballistic missile exploded within five seconds of the launch, according to the newspaper the US agents have used a stealth malware that caused a massive malfunction.

The launch occurred from near the port city of Sinpo, Kim Jong-un ordered it defiance of President Trump sending a naval task force to the region.

The US naval force in the area, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, is equipped with rockets capable of intercepting missiles, but they were not deployed.

It was a medium-range ballistic rocket, likely a Nodong, the experts highlighted that North Korea is forced to import the high-tech electronics used in its missiles, so it is likely that US hackers compromised the supply chain implanting an undetectable malware.

According to some experts, North Korea is vulnerable to cyber attacks because its scientists have to import electronic hardware.

The experts believe that US cyber units may have detected the launch and sent the instructions to the malware via satellite from the US National Security Agency headquarters in Maryland.

Source; The Sun

Fantasy or reality?

A similar attack requests a huge effort in terms of HUMINT and technical activities, but it is perfectly feasible.

“It is perfectly feasible the US brought down this missile.” said Defence analyst Paul Beaver.

“Their cyber warfare capabilities are now highly advanced.

“As soon as military satellites watching Sinpo detected an imminent launch, a team at the National Security Agency would have got to work.”

“It’s possible for them to have sent a signal directly to the missile from Maryland which effectively zapped it out of the sky.”

“North Korea has had a string of launch failures and it may be no coincidence that they have happened as the US went to cyber war.”

President Trump did not comment the Kim’s missile failure.

Analysts believe that Kim will punish military commanders involved in the failed operation.

Kim has a history of punishing failure with terrible retribution, including executing his own officials with anti-aircraft guns.

Giving a look at the North Korea’s military programme we can notice a long series of technical failures, a part of the intelligence community attribute the incident to cyber attacks powered by the US Cyber Command.

Other ballistic tests failed in the last weeks, medium-range North Korean rockets crashed and exploded.

“Last year a Musudan missile fired to mark the anniversary of the birth of Kim’s grandfather Kim Il-sung blew up so soon after take-off it wrecked its launcher.” reported The Sun.

“In November 2015 an attempt to launch a ballistic missile from a submarine ended in failure when the weapon disintegrated under­water.”

“There are many things that can go wrong but it would be impossible to tell from outside if something had affected the internal guidance or control systems.” said Defence analyst Lance Gatling

“It has been openly mentioned that there is a possibility that the North’s supply chain for components has been deliberately infected, and they might never know.”