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The hacker doesn't understand what they're getting themselves into, especially bragging about it. The hard part about going up against an entire nation/state is

The hacker doesn't understand what they're getting themselves into, especially bragging about it. The hard part about going up against an entire nation/state is that it's relentless. The state never gets tired and never runs out of money, they could setup a team of people to 'work' on that individual and also potentially his present and future family members for a very long time. They can keep replenishing their teams with more people. The state always has a few people to spare for high-exposure targets. The leaders of that state might even forget about the existence of the individual but the operation will keep going until it's canceled... But since they forgot about the operation in the first place, it will keep going until there is some kind of broader administrative restructuring, cost-cutting or something... Which could be a long time away. Few things are more terrifying than totalitarian state bureaucracy.

anonzzzies 2y ago
Yep, it seems way too many people know who he is irl. I would be not sleep well for the coming decade at least.
- cryptica 2y ago
  Yeah and North Korea is known for punishing family members. It's just foolish to brag like that. Probably worse than the hack itself.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  Eh, he’s probably safer than if he’d hacked a cartel. North Korea isn’t known for its tradecraft in the United States.
  - heywoods 2y ago
    While it's true that North Korea's tradecraft within the U.S. might not be as sophisticated as some fear, the situation isn't so straightforward. Given the significant public exposure of this case and the individual's prior connections within the U.S. government, NK would need to carefully weigh their options. I would wager that if NK would attempt to harm this hacker it would be through using third parties like cartels or local gangs. This could offer NK plausible deniability and physical access to the target, but it also complicates their operational control and increases the risk of exposure. The calculus for NK would include considerations such as: - The individual's public and former government status, which might provoke a stronger U.S. response if harmed. NK would have to vet the hackers assertions that he still has meaningful and significant contacts within the USG. - The cost and complexity of outsourcing such an operation discretely. - The types of U.S. responses that might follow, from diplomatic measures to cyber counterattacks. While an attack via third parties is plausible, and given these factors which I am sure there are others I haven't considered, it would require NK to balance the benefits against the potential repercussions and the likelihood of successful attribution. But I am very confident that if they do follow through it will be using a cartel or local gang as proxy for the reasons I mentioned. P4x's public disclosures and technical skills make him a unique target, but as he himself noted, the operational capabilities of North Korea within the U.S. are limited. It's a nuanced threat landscape where indirect methods might be considered but are not guaranteed to succeed without significant risks.
burrish 2y ago
Yep and I mean... don't we all remember the assassination of Kim Jong-nam outside of North Korea in a Malaysia airport ? who know if NK will do it again, but showing his identity so that NK know who they should target is really stupid
Kindling7257 2y ago
Redditors will do literally anything for social validation
Dalewyn 2y ago
Someone engrossed in digital foolery not understanding how the real world works is so stereotypical I wonder if there's more to this. Incidentally for anyone who's actually paying attention, the first rule in covert actions is being and staying inconspicuous. The real world isn't like Hollywood where people working in the shadows can become celebrities as a side gig. I hope this guy has a really good security detail now that he painted such a biglyarse target on himself. God damn, man.
- netsharc 2y ago
  > the first rule in covert actions is being and staying inconspicuous. Some hacker movie said the problem is when you brag about it, and you desperately want to... and just looking at his post with the edits, he really is metaphorically jerking off to how awesome he is. Holy frakk, he's even posted his face on that post. GOD DAMN! I half look forward to reading about how 2 women were fooled into pranking^W assassinating him (1). I hope dude isn't thinking of travelling to Asia anytime soon. 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Kim_Jong-nam#Attack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Kim_Jong-nam#...
- cryptica 2y ago
  100%. Maybe he will get a job with US intelligence or something, that could provide some safety. People should take this stuff seriously. As you say, it's not like in the movies. Hollywood continuously trivializes the enormous power wielded by states. There are some enemies you really don't want to make.

anonzzzies 2y ago

Yep, it seems way too many people know who he is irl. I would be not sleep well for the coming decade at least.

cryptica 2y ago
Yeah and North Korea is known for punishing family members. It's just foolish to brag like that. Probably worse than the hack itself.
JumpCrisscross 2y ago
Eh, he’s probably safer than if he’d hacked a cartel. North Korea isn’t known for its tradecraft in the United States.
- heywoods 2y ago
  While it's true that North Korea's tradecraft within the U.S. might not be as sophisticated as some fear, the situation isn't so straightforward. Given the significant public exposure of this case and the individual's prior connections within the U.S. government, NK would need to carefully weigh their options. I would wager that if NK would attempt to harm this hacker it would be through using third parties like cartels or local gangs. This could offer NK plausible deniability and physical access to the target, but it also complicates their operational control and increases the risk of exposure. The calculus for NK would include considerations such as: - The individual's public and former government status, which might provoke a stronger U.S. response if harmed. NK would have to vet the hackers assertions that he still has meaningful and significant contacts within the USG. - The cost and complexity of outsourcing such an operation discretely. - The types of U.S. responses that might follow, from diplomatic measures to cyber counterattacks. While an attack via third parties is plausible, and given these factors which I am sure there are others I haven't considered, it would require NK to balance the benefits against the potential repercussions and the likelihood of successful attribution. But I am very confident that if they do follow through it will be using a cartel or local gang as proxy for the reasons I mentioned. P4x's public disclosures and technical skills make him a unique target, but as he himself noted, the operational capabilities of North Korea within the U.S. are limited. It's a nuanced threat landscape where indirect methods might be considered but are not guaranteed to succeed without significant risks.

burrish 2y ago

Yep and I mean... don't we all remember the assassination of Kim Jong-nam outside of North Korea in a Malaysia airport ? who know if NK will do it again, but showing his identity so that NK know who they should target is really stupid

Kindling7257 2y ago

Redditors will do literally anything for social validation

Dalewyn 2y ago

Someone engrossed in digital foolery not understanding how the real world works is so stereotypical I wonder if there's more to this. Incidentally for anyone who's actually paying attention, the first rule in covert actions is being and staying inconspicuous. The real world isn't like Hollywood where people working in the shadows can become celebrities as a side gig. I hope this guy has a really good security detail now that he painted such a biglyarse target on himself. God damn, man.

netsharc 2y ago
> the first rule in covert actions is being and staying inconspicuous. Some hacker movie said the problem is when you brag about it, and you desperately want to... and just looking at his post with the edits, he really is metaphorically jerking off to how awesome he is. Holy frakk, he's even posted his face on that post. GOD DAMN! I half look forward to reading about how 2 women were fooled into pranking^W assassinating him (1). I hope dude isn't thinking of travelling to Asia anytime soon. 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Kim_Jong-nam#Attack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Kim_Jong-nam#...
cryptica 2y ago
100%. Maybe he will get a job with US intelligence or something, that could provide some safety. People should take this stuff seriously. As you say, it's not like in the movies. Hollywood continuously trivializes the enormous power wielded by states. There are some enemies you really don't want to make.