Its a safe bet the U.S. government isnt taking advice from Edward Snowden these days, but the infamous leaker offered the Obama administration a warning as it mulls a further response to North Koreas alleged hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment: dont hack back. <\/p>\n
In an interview with PBS Nova Next released Thursday, Snowden offered thoughts on cyberwar that are newly relevant after high-profile cyberattacks at J.P. Morgan Chase , Sony and elsewhere. James Bamford conducted the June 30 interview in Moscow; it features some of the same material as Bamfords August cover story in Wired. <\/p>\n
When it comes to cyber warfare, we have more to lose than any other nation on earth, Snowden said, according to a transcript. The technical sector is the backbone of the American economy, and if we start engaging in these kind of behaviors, in these kind of attacks, were setting a standard, were creating a new international norm of behavior that says this is what nations do. <\/p>\n
Many current and former U.S. security officials agree. If the Internet becomes a battlefield, they say, the U.S. is so well wired that it would be relatively easy to inflict damage. But theres less to attack in a country like North Korea. <\/p>\n
The U.S. last week announced sanctions against North Korea as the first step of retaliation for the Sony hack. Several people involved in the deliberations are opposed to launching a digital counterstrike against Pyongyang. <\/p>\n
In the PBS interview, Snowden alluded to a previously reported anecdote that the National Security Agency accidentally knocked Syria offline in 2012 when it hacked into its Internet gear for spying purposes. <\/p>\n
A former U.S. official familiar wouldnt discuss Syria specifically but said, Hypothetically, when youre doing those kinds of things, something like that is not beyond the realm of the possible. <\/p>\n
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