N. Korea Hacked Into Emails Of Seoul Officials: Report
Fakhir Rizvi Published August 01, 2016 | 11:40 AM
SEOUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st August, 2016) - Seoul prosecutors believe North Korea hacked into the email accounts of dozens of South Korean government officials this year -- the latest in a series of suspected cyber-attacks by Pyongyang -- the South's Yonhap news agency reported Monday. Investigations showed 56 people -- including officials at the foreign, defence and unification ministries -- had their email passwords stolen by a "North Korea-operated group" from January to June, Yonhap said, citing the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. The prosecutors' office could not be reached for comment by AFP. Yonhap said the hackers set up 27 phishing sites using a free web-hosting server in January and posed as portal sites run by the foreign ministry, universities and defence-related companies to steal the passwords. An investigation is still ongoing to see if any confidential information may have been leaked. The latest cyber attack comes just days after South Korean police said the North stole the personal data of over 10 million customers at South Korean online shopping mall Interpark. Interpark was unaware about the attack until July 11, when it was blackmailed with threats to publicise the leaked data unless the company paid three billion won (US$2.
6 million). On Thursday, the National Police Agency said the North's main spy agency -- the Reconnaissance General Bureau -- was behind the attack which used the same codes and internet protocol addresses previously used in online attacks by North Korea. The police said the digital breach was likely an attempt by the cash-strapped regime to obtain foreign Currency. Tensions on the divided Korean peninsula have been running high since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of ballistic missile tests. The provocations have put North Korea under the toughest sanctions yet from the United Nations as well as mounting individual sanctions by countries like the US, South Korea and Japan. Seoul has in recent years blamed the North's hackers for a series of cyber-attacks on military institutions, banks, state agencies, tv broadcasters, media websites and a nuclear power plant. The North operates an army of more than 1,000 hackers who stage hacking or cyberattacks targeting Seoul's major institutions or key officials, according to the South's spy agency.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 27 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 27 April 2024
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
More Stories From World
-
Haliburton hits winner as Pacers hold off Bucks in overtime, Mavs thump Clippers
43 minutes ago -
'Everyone sits out': Yangon parks offer heatwave relief
44 minutes ago -
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
54 minutes ago -
Golf: LPGA LA Championship scores
1 hour ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - collated
2 hours ago -
PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans scores
2 hours ago
-
Sudanese filmmakers shine light on war's 'silent problems'
2 hours ago -
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
8 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga table
8 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
8 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga results
8 hours ago -
US troops to leave Chad in second African state withdrawal
8 hours ago