Incheon Airport Cyberattack Rescued from Cyber Attack

A South-Korean game distributor having connections with alleged agents of North Korean trading agency was caught red handed the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, while attempting computer virus implant, reports KOREA JOONGANG DAILY on June 5, 2012.

Police revealed the arrest of the 39-year old distributor, Jo with the charge of involvement and violation of the National Security Law on June 3, 2012. The National Intelligence Service assisted the police in the arrest.

The police officials further identified Jo to have started off with all these nefarious deeds since 2009, when he met the North Korean government agents from the Reconnaissance General Bureau. Jo had urged the agents into developing a software game containing virus for cyber attack on South Korea.

These virus-held games were then sold to online gaming services in South Korea, thus infecting the end-user system. The affected systems were then used to attack the South Korean airport in an attempt to interrupt the flight traffic.

The Police Department also investigated if the malware yielded user details from the infected machines.

Accusation held against Jo included allowance of North Korean agents in using his personal server for the distribution of denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on the online systems in South Korea. These attacks were implanted several times in March 2011.

Jo was also accused of holding personal details of several people from major portals and operating them from his apartment.

Authorities don't know if last September's (2011) glitch is related to Jo's gaming malware.
Authorities are yet to find the prime suspects of the September 2011 disturbance and if it is related to the gaming malware of Jo.

However, police commented that if found guilty, he'll underwent a lengthy prison sentence in a South Korean correctional facility.

Nevertheless, it is the newest of the malware attacks been reported so far targeting vital infrastructure so far. During the last week of May 2012, the security authority was busy with a discussion on a series of attacks targeting industrial systems in the Middle East.

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» SPAMfighter News - 6/13/2012