A week ago, it was reported that two South Korean companies had their computers hijacked.
Korean police and their U.S counterpart began a joint investigation as several computers of an army unit under the U.S Air Force Space Command (SPACECOM) were hacked by an individual in a third country via a Korean firms’ computers in mid-February.
Today, I came across the news that North Korea's cyberwarfare unit has been stepping up its activities recently.
The Defense Security Command, the military unit responsible for overseeing the army's internal affairs and for counter-espionage, has been operating a specialized unit designed to combat potential cyber attacks from North Korea. According to Lieutenant-general Song Young-keun, who commands the Defense Security Command, North Korea operates a special cyber warfare unit. The special unit is said to have been established under the direct orders of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. It is responsible for collecting intelligence on South Korea's governmental and research organizations, and for building a capability to launch cyber attacks against the South.
While the report stops short of an open accusation, apparently for diplomatic reasons, the public reporting of such details serves as a warning.
Though, it is possible that the apparently failed probe of SPACECOM was launched by other countries known to be developing cyberwar capabilities (e.g. China), the timing is suggestive.
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