North Korean hackers penetrated more than 140,000 computers at 160 South Korean companies and government agencies, copying over 42,000 documents, according to the National Police Agency.
The operation began in 2014 and wasn't detected until this February. Among the companies that were hacked were 17 affiliates of SK Group including SK Networks, and 10 of Hanjin Group, including Korean Air.
Police said North Korea took advantage of network security vulnerabilities by exploiting computer management software developed by a South Korean IT firm.
Most of the stolen records contained defense industry information. What is surprising is that the stolen data included sophisticated information about F-15 fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Police and defense officials said the leaked records didn't include classified information, denying the possibility that the leak would pose a threat to national security. Nonetheless, people's concern about Pyongyang's mounting cyber threat must not be belittled.
The police's announcement that the cyberattack was launched by the isolationist state is almost certain, given that some of the 16 servers in Pyongyang had the same IP addresses as those that staged a massive cyberattack on the South in 2013. Back then, the attacks crippled computer systems at several banks and TV stations in Seoul for more than a week, causing losses of more than 800 billion won.
What is most worrisome is that the latest network infiltration could have escalated into a more significant cyberattack if the police had failed to detect it in advance. The police warning that North Korea "may have been preparing for a long time to launch its largest-scale cyberattack" must be heeded.
In fact, the North is reported to be in the world's top league when it comes to cyberwarfare. The repressive state operates an army of nearly 4,000 hackers under its Reconnaissance General Bureau who stage cyberattacks targeting Seoul's major agencies and private companies, despite lagging behind in IT technology. The U.S. accused North Korea of a cyberattack on Sony Pictures in 2014 that caused the film studio to cancel the release of a comedy based on the fictional assassination of its young leader Kim Jong-un.
South Korea boasts of being equipped with highly advanced IT infrastructure. In other words, however, this means that the country remains vulnerable to the world's highest level of cyberterrorism threat. The government must leave no stone unturned in building watertight defenses in cyberspace in close collaboration with the private sector.
The operation began in 2014 and wasn't detected until this February. Among the companies that were hacked were 17 affiliates of SK Group including SK Networks, and 10 of Hanjin Group, including Korean Air.
Police said North Korea took advantage of network security vulnerabilities by exploiting computer management software developed by a South Korean IT firm.
Most of the stolen records contained defense industry information. What is surprising is that the stolen data included sophisticated information about F-15 fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Police and defense officials said the leaked records didn't include classified information, denying the possibility that the leak would pose a threat to national security. Nonetheless, people's concern about Pyongyang's mounting cyber threat must not be belittled.
The police's announcement that the cyberattack was launched by the isolationist state is almost certain, given that some of the 16 servers in Pyongyang had the same IP addresses as those that staged a massive cyberattack on the South in 2013. Back then, the attacks crippled computer systems at several banks and TV stations in Seoul for more than a week, causing losses of more than 800 billion won.
What is most worrisome is that the latest network infiltration could have escalated into a more significant cyberattack if the police had failed to detect it in advance. The police warning that North Korea "may have been preparing for a long time to launch its largest-scale cyberattack" must be heeded.
In fact, the North is reported to be in the world's top league when it comes to cyberwarfare. The repressive state operates an army of nearly 4,000 hackers under its Reconnaissance General Bureau who stage cyberattacks targeting Seoul's major agencies and private companies, despite lagging behind in IT technology. The U.S. accused North Korea of a cyberattack on Sony Pictures in 2014 that caused the film studio to cancel the release of a comedy based on the fictional assassination of its young leader Kim Jong-un.
South Korea boasts of being equipped with highly advanced IT infrastructure. In other words, however, this means that the country remains vulnerable to the world's highest level of cyberterrorism threat. The government must leave no stone unturned in building watertight defenses in cyberspace in close collaboration with the private sector.
![[INTERVIEW] ASTRO members aim to shine in musical theater](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/df16760dc50f469d93434f66a069465c.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Hip-hop group Uptown returns after 13 years with new lineup](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/0eae35da5e9c40c38cf439e550a2eb3e.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] INFINITE's Nam Woo-hyun returns after battling with rare cancer](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/a3c3440b8dc84bce8ca94394a170fef2.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
