South Korea Witnesses Malware Attack on Nonghyup’s PCs

During an investigation process, officials in South Korea (SK) found that an IBM worker's laptop had been utilized for causing Nonghyup's (National Agricultural Cooperative Federation) PC-network to crash that was primarily operated to conduct the business of lending by the cooperative. Prosecutors, on May 2, 2011, stated that according to the National Intelligence Service, 200 port numbers were identified that had viruses in them in order that the computers on the network could be converted into zombie PCs. The Chosunilbo published this on May 4, 2011.

State the officials along with computer specialists, the Nonghyup event shows how cyber-warfare abilities are largely advanced in North Korea (NK). Reportedly, when on July 7, 2009, hackers from NK launched a DDoS assault they utilized 435 servers within 61 countries for disseminating merely a single kind of virus.

But, when during March 2011, another DDoS attack was launched, 746 servers were utilized within 70 countries for installing over 3 separate virus samples. Meanwhile, the virus used in the Nonghyup cyber-assault typically penetrates a bank's computer systems to erase its data, while erasing the tracks too it may leave behind.

Evidently, in the cyber-assault executed on April 12, 2011, the North criminals orchestrated to collapse the Nonghyup banking computers, according to prosecutors on May 3, 2011. The Korea Herald published this on May 3, 2011.

The collapse, which was the worst-ever kind on the country's banking network, initiated summons to adopt harder measures towards protecting chief financial institutions across the South incase the latest type of online assault occurred.

Stated authorities from the Office of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors, the mode-of-assault during April 2011 resembled the one utilized during the dual online-assaults against many prominent SK's business and government websites, which occurred during July 2009-March 2010.

Nevertheless, according to experts, an analysis of the form in which the cyber-warfare techniques from NK were executed in the Nonghyup case shows the assault maybe merely a start for more. State Intelligence officers, the immediate attack point of the North may now be the power grid of the South, its airports, subway systems, maritime ports or nuclear power sites.

Related article: South Korea Becomes Infamous For Being World’s Fifth Spamme

» SPAMfighter News - 5/9/2011