Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
White-hat hacker contest begins
By Jun Ji-hye
A contest to select the best white-hat hackers to fight cyber terrorism began Monday, the Ministry of National Defense said.
South Korea has taken the belated yet entirely necessary steps to train more cyber security experts since 2013 following a series of hacking attacks, many of which were traced to North Korea.
The annual “White-hat Contest” ― jointly hosted by the Defense Ministry and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and supervised by the Cyber Command ― was first held in 2013. This year, the event will run until Oct. 26.
The contest features two competitions ― one for those who submit proposals for policies or technology that can contribute to developing the nation’s cyber security strategy, and the other for those who demonstrate skills in defending against hacking attacks.
The contest for the technology suggestions began Monday and will continue until Oct. 18. A panel of judges will choose four winners, and the government will reflect their ideas in developing related systems.
The anti-hacking contest will begin on Oct. 10 with the online preliminary rounds lasting two days. Eight teams will qualify among adults with eight more for teenagers. They will contest the offline finals for hypothetical cyber warfare on Oct. 21.
Six teams will be chosen as prize winners. The prize money in total is 71 million won ($60,000).
The NIS will provide the grand prize winner among the adult group with an opportunity to be trained at global information security events ― the Black Hat USA 2016 and the DEFCON CTF 24.
Other benefits given to prize winners include granting additional points when they apply for the Cyber Command during their mandatory military service, as well as when they apply for jobs with the NIS and the National Police Agency.
The awards ceremony will take place on Oct. 26.
“The military is making various efforts to defend cyber space at a time when attack technology for hacking is quickly evolving,” said Hwang Hee-jong, deputy minister for planning and coordination of the ministry. “The ‘White-hat Contest’ will be a significant place to discover cyber talents to prepare for such threats.”
On March 20, 2013, North Korea was criticized for paralyzing the computer networks of three television networks and two banks in the South by planting malicious codes.
The belligerent state was also blamed for hacking Sony Pictures at the end of last year in protest against the screening of “The Interview,” the satirical movie about a CIA plot for a TV show host and his producer to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Pyongyang is believed to train about 300 cyber attackers annually.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye