North Korea Increases Cyber War Personnel by Doubling it: Report

Tribune.com.pk reported on 6th July, 2014 quoting a recent report as "North Korea has doubled the number of its elite cyber warriors during past two years and established bases at overseas for hacking attacks."

The Yonhap news agency of South said that cyber war unit of North has 5,900 personnel as compared to 3,000 two years ago.

Tribune.com.pk published news on 6th July, 2014 quoting a military source as saying that the communist nation manages a hacking division below its General Bureau of Reconnaissance, home to around 1,200 professional hackers.

The source said that hackers of North Korea have launched cyber attacks through overseas bases in countries like China.

In current years, hackers have launched cyber attacks by deploying malware and sending emails with virus to South Korean military institutions, commercial banks, government agencies, TV broadcasters and media websites.

South Korea concluded that cyber-attacks were originated from North following an investigation of large-scale cyber attacks on its websites in the past. However, capital of North Korea Pyongyang has denied any role in cyber attacks on South Korean targets and rather accused South Korea for fabricating the attacks to increase tensions.

In June 2013, Silence Ministry of South Korea confirmed a cyber attack on the website of Government Policy Co-ordination office, presidential website Blue House and some media servers. The shutdown came on 63rd anniversary of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Analysts noted that Seoul, capital of South Korea, needs to form a broad long term-strategy for cyber security including organized and efficient actions to elevate cyber specialists.

Koreaherald.com published news on 6th July, 2014 quoting Michael Raska, Research Fellow of S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, as saying "First step towards planning, conceptualizing and integrating a multilayered cyber-defense approach in South Korea is recognizing the progressive complexity of cyber-threats. Defense planners of South Korea should project the job of a cyberwarfare in future arguments on the Korean Peninsula. They should work to discover liabilities and outline guidelines for any future incidents. They must engage the finest cyber professionals and couple them with strategic and defense experts creating partnership with security firms of commercial information and educating personnel."

» SPAMfighter News - 7/14/2014