South Korean Defense Industry Encounter Hackers’ Attacks

According to South Korea's National Security Research Institute, the defense industry of the country is facing a dangerous hack following the discovery of malicious codes on its dominant computer systems. LIGNex1 Hyundai Heavy Industries, the manufacturer of guided missiles, uncovered these codes planed by the hackers.

Moreover, the National Security Research Institute affiliated to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute believes that hackers planted the vicious codes into the Institute's computer systems and managed to steal data from them. Also, it is understood that these codes were planted in late March 2008.

Spokesperson of the National Security Research Institute state that the institute suspects North Korean and Chinese hackers behind the incident although it doesn't know what specific information they stole. The worst could be the theft of blueprint of the Aegis ship and missiles, as reported by SCMagazine on September 29, 2008.

The Spokesperson further stated that the country's major defense industries are shockingly vulnerable to the hackers' malicious attacks. Missiles are vulnerable to theft on account of cyber terrorists' activities. Thus, he called for a general examination of the country's cyber security arrangement.

Here it may be worthwhile to mention that during the 1st week of September 2008, South Korea's Army Colonel received a spyware program from a North Korean hacker via an e-mail. The e-mail was auto-programmed to steal stored folders if the recipient viewed it.

Elucidating on the issue during the 1st week of September 2008, Major Seo Young-seok in the Public Relations Office of the Defense Ministry said that North Korea had attempted to infiltrate the military's computer systems for a long time, as reported by CIOL. Young-seok further said that North Korea was understood to be training its people on hacking operations.

Also, during the 1st week of September 2008, Senior Technology Consultant Graham Cluley at Sophos, an online security software company, said that North Korea was the year's latest country blamed for participating in cyber war. However, he added that it wasn't confirmed whether any confidential military information was stolen but it demonstrated an embarrassing security breach, as reported by ComputerWeekly.

» SPAMfighter News - 06-10-2008

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