South Korea is not lucky with its neighbor, local factories are drowning in cyber attacks.
According to an official statement from South Korea's National Intelligence Service, North Korean cybercriminals have successfully attacked at least two leading South Korean microchip equipment companies in recent months.
During these incidents, the attackers managed to steal valuable data, including drawings with design solutions for the latest chips and photos of production sites of enterprises.
According to intelligence reports, cybercriminals used LotL methods in their attacks. This approach involves using tools that are already present in compromised systems instead of introducing external malicious software. This makes cyberattacks less visible to intrusion detection systems and antivirus programs.
North Korean hackers have reportedly penetrated servers designed to store and manage the business records of victim companies. Intelligence does not disclose specific details about the vulnerabilities found that allowed hacking. At the moment, it is known that one incident occurred in December last year, and the second-in February of this year.
According to South Korean intelligence agencies, attacks on the semiconductor industry may be related to the DPRK's intentions to independently establish the production of semiconductors, bypassing UN sanctions. Due to strict restrictive measures against North Korea's weapons of mass destruction programs, Pyongyang is experiencing serious difficulties in purchasing imported microchips.
Be that as it may, the South Korean semiconductor sector itself is a very attractive target for cybercriminals and foreign intelligence agencies. Microchips account for about 16% of the country's total exports. And recently, Seoul announced an ambitious plan to create the world's largest cluster for the production of semiconductor products worth $470 billion.
The project, which is being implemented in collaboration with giants such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, plans to build 3 new research centers and 13 chip manufacturing plants near Seoul, in addition to 21 existing facilities.
North Korea poses a constant threat to its democratic neighbor not only in the military and political sphere, but also in cyberspace. So, in December, the North Korean hacker group ScarCruft attacked South Korean experts on North Korean issues, as well as a news organization specializing in covering events around North Korea.
In January, the current President of South Korea, Yoon Seok-yeol, warned of possible provocations from Pyongyang, including armed clashes near the demilitarized zone, violations of airspace by reconnaissance drones, cyber attacks or spreading fake news to interfere in the parliamentary elections scheduled for April.
According to an official statement from South Korea's National Intelligence Service, North Korean cybercriminals have successfully attacked at least two leading South Korean microchip equipment companies in recent months.
During these incidents, the attackers managed to steal valuable data, including drawings with design solutions for the latest chips and photos of production sites of enterprises.
According to intelligence reports, cybercriminals used LotL methods in their attacks. This approach involves using tools that are already present in compromised systems instead of introducing external malicious software. This makes cyberattacks less visible to intrusion detection systems and antivirus programs.
North Korean hackers have reportedly penetrated servers designed to store and manage the business records of victim companies. Intelligence does not disclose specific details about the vulnerabilities found that allowed hacking. At the moment, it is known that one incident occurred in December last year, and the second-in February of this year.
According to South Korean intelligence agencies, attacks on the semiconductor industry may be related to the DPRK's intentions to independently establish the production of semiconductors, bypassing UN sanctions. Due to strict restrictive measures against North Korea's weapons of mass destruction programs, Pyongyang is experiencing serious difficulties in purchasing imported microchips.
Be that as it may, the South Korean semiconductor sector itself is a very attractive target for cybercriminals and foreign intelligence agencies. Microchips account for about 16% of the country's total exports. And recently, Seoul announced an ambitious plan to create the world's largest cluster for the production of semiconductor products worth $470 billion.
The project, which is being implemented in collaboration with giants such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, plans to build 3 new research centers and 13 chip manufacturing plants near Seoul, in addition to 21 existing facilities.
North Korea poses a constant threat to its democratic neighbor not only in the military and political sphere, but also in cyberspace. So, in December, the North Korean hacker group ScarCruft attacked South Korean experts on North Korean issues, as well as a news organization specializing in covering events around North Korea.
In January, the current President of South Korea, Yoon Seok-yeol, warned of possible provocations from Pyongyang, including armed clashes near the demilitarized zone, violations of airspace by reconnaissance drones, cyber attacks or spreading fake news to interfere in the parliamentary elections scheduled for April.
