With many speculating that the attack was carried out by North Korea, Representative Patrick Meehan, chairman of the House Homeland Security's Cybersecurity subpanel, which met Wednesday, said the U.S. should remain vigilant on potential cyber threats from the North.

"North Korea's cyber capability should not be underestimated, and its intent is difficult to assess."

At a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Charles Jacoby, Head of the U.S. Northern Command, said North Korea's nuclear and missile programs are making faster progress than expected.

"I wouldn't characterize it as being surprised. I think that North Korea proceeded at a pace faster than we had anticipated."

U.S. government officials did not jump to conclusions on the origin of the cyber attack, but they did reaffirm their intention to work in close cooperation with South Korea on the matter.
And in a recent visit to Seoul, U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, speaking in Seoul on Monday, said the U.S. remains committed to providing its nuclear umbrella on the Korean Peninsula.
Pyongyang is suspected of having been behind two major cyber attacks on South Korea in 2009 and 2011 and is believed to have a cyber warfare unit staffed by three-thousand.
Last week, it said South Korea had carried out a cyber attack on websites in Pyongyang.
Ji Myung-kil, Arirang News.

Reporter : mkji@arirang.co.kr