Gov't conducts integrated cybersecurity drills
Officials conduct a civil defense drill simulating drone terror attacks at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
The presidential Office of National Security said Tuesday it has conducted cybersecurity drills with public and private entities to enhance integrated responses against cyber risks and drone attacks.
The office organized the cyber defense drills in conjunction with the annual Ulchi civil defense exercise, involving the military, government agencies, intelligence authorities and police, as well as private and public companies.
The Ulchi civil defense exercise has been under way since Monday for a four-day run, held concurrently with the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise jointly held between South Korea and the United States.
This year's exercise simulated recent cyberattacks targeting private companies, including telecommunications and financial firms, as well as national and public institutions.
The participants practiced responses to artificial intelligence (AI)-generated phishing emails and recovery from damage caused by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, the NSC said in a release.
The exercise also featured a combined scenario in which a cyberattack and a suicide drone strike targeted a liquefied natural gas storage facility in Samcheok, about 290 kilometers east of Seoul, designated as critical infrastructure.
Oh Hyun-joo, the third deputy national security adviser, emphasized the importance of integrated responses to evolving AI-enabled cyber threats in order to safeguard national security and the digital society.