The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
To many in the outside world, North Korea can seem like a virtual black hole where little information escapes. There is no doubt that researching North Korea is much more difficult than many other nations. However, if you know where to look and which questions to ask it can be easier than many think. Using North Korean cyber operations and activity as a case study, Priscilla Moriuchi will talk through the methodology she has applied and insights her work has provided into North Korean leadership behavior and cyber operations.
Priscilla Moriuchi is the Head of Nation-state Research and Principal Analyst at Recorded Future, and a non-resident fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
Ms. Moriuchi is an expert on state-sponsored cyber operations and Asia Pacific regional and cyber threats, and is a widely published researcher and commentator on national and cyber security issues. Her cutting-edge research on China, Russia, and North Korea has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and many others. Prior to Recorded Future, Ms. Moriuchi spent 12 years at the National Security Agency, most recently as the Enduring Threat Manager and top subject matter expert on East Asia and Pacific (EAP) cyber threats.