Cyber-terrorism: North Koreans breaking into South's networks
Date: May 31, 2004Source: Computer Crime Research Center
South Korea's top military intelligence official claims that North Korea is operating an elite military unit specialising in breaking into South Korean computer networks.
Song Young-keun, commanding general of the Defence Security Command, said at a conference in Seoul that North Korea was building up its "cyber-terror" capability on orders from its leader, Kim Jong-il.
"Following orders from Chairman Kim Jong-Il, North Korea has been operating a crack unit specialising in computer hacking and strengthening its cyber-terror ability," he said in a keynote speech.
The conference was organised by the Korea Information Security Agency of the Ministry of Information and Communication to discuss the protection of security related intelligence.
He said the North Korean military crackers were breaking into the computer networks of South Korean government agencies and research institutes to steal classified information.
Song's comments came a day after top military generals from the two Koreas met to reduce tensions on the world's last Cold War frontier.
Yonhap news agency quoted DSC officials as saying top graduates from Kim Il-sung Military Academy, a military intelligence college, were handpicked and given intensive training in computer-related skills before being assigned to the hackers' unit.
Their tasks were to get into the computer networks run by South Korean government agencies and research institutes and attack computer systems when necessary, said Defence Security Command officers.
Song claimed there were eight web sites directly run by Pyongyang and 26 other sites operated by pro-Pyongyang organisations which were acting as propaganda outlets for the communist state.
"Combined efforts are necessary to cope with the mounting cyber attacks from North Korea as it is impossible for the DSC alone to cope with them," the general said.
Lee Hong-sub, head of the Korea Information Security Agency, said at the conference fighting "cyber threats without borders" required joint efforts by the government and the private sector.
Defectors from North Korea said computer technology was top priority in North Korea, with Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of the country's ruler, leading the campaign to arm its military with state of the art information technology.
Some 100 people with advanced computer skills graduated from the military academy every year, they said.
AFP
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