Suspected North Korean hackers have targeted a joint US-South Korea military exercise being held this week, although classified information has not been compromised, South Korean police said yesterday.
South Korean and US forces are today to begin the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian summer exercises to improve their ability to respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
Pyongyang views such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion, and has said it would take “overwhelming” action in response.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The hackers — believed to be linked to a North Korean group dubbed Kimsuky — carried out “continuous malicious e-mail attacks” on South Korean contractors working at the allies’ combined exercise war simulation center, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said in a statement,
“Police investigation confirms that North Korean hacking group was responsible for the attack,” it said. “It was confirmed that military-related information was not stolen.”
South Korean police and the US military conducted a joint investigation and found the IP address used in the hacking attempt matched one identified in a 2014 hack against South Korea’s nuclear reactor operator, the police said.
At that time, South Korea accused North Korea of being behind that cyberattack.
The Kimsuky hackers have long used “spear-phishing” e-mails that trick targets, researchers say.
Additional reporting by AFP
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