North Korea is in full war mode, a cyber war that is. North Korean hackers are “working” to disrupt US and South Korean military IT infrastructures and this is in full gear:
The Associate Press reports:
Report: North Korea operating cyber warfare unit
North Korea runs a cyber warfare unit that tries to hack into U.S. and South Korean military networks to gather confidential information and disrupt service, a news report said Tuesday.
The North’s military has expanded the unit, staffing it with about 100 personnel, mostly graduates of a Pyongyang university that teaches computer skills, Yonhap news agency reported, citing an intelligence agency it didn’t identify.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it is aware that Pyongyang has been training hackers in recent years but did not provide details and had no other comment. The National Intelligence Service — South Korea’s main spy agency — said it could not immediately confirm the Yonhap report.
The report came a day after the Defense Ministry said it had signed an accord with the Pentagon to strengthen their cooperation in fighting against cyber threats. The ministry statement, however, did not identify any specific cyber threats, such as from North Korea.
The Associated French Press reports:
North Korea has strenghtened its cyber warfare unit, increasing the country’s ability to launch a computer attack on South Korea and the United States, officials and a report said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency cited official sources saying that the North has a “technology reconnaissance team” dedicated to collecting information and disrupting US and South Korean military computer networks.
The team now has about 100 hackers, mostly graduates of a military academy in Pyongyang, it said.
A military spokesman told AFP that the unit had “upgraded equipment and strenghtened cyber warfare capabilities” but declined to provide further details.
Is this for real or just another story that is being blown out of proportion? Or just another excuse to support the Cyber security Bill of 2009? After all this is only the latest media report on cyber warfare, with an article on April 8th in the WSJ reporting on Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies. The blame in that “report” goes to the east aswell, in that case Russia and China:
The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven’t sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.
What is your take on all of this? Leave us your comments below.
Related articles: