[Courtesy of Warner Bros Entertainment]
South Korea's police chief on Monday blamed North Korean hackers for staging a cyber attack with malicious e-mails after the nuclear-armed country claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb in early January.
National Police Agency head Kang Sin-myeong said North Korea was behind the distribution of malicious e-mails, which were disguised as being sent by officials at South Korea's prsidential office or foreign ministry to state research institutions.
"We are at a stage to be assured that it was committed by a North Korean hacking organization," he said, adding Internet Protocal addresses used in the attack were traced to to China's northeastern province of Liaoning bordering North Korea.
It was the same network used in December 2014, when Seoul accused Pyongyang of launching a cyber attack on South Korea's nuclear power plant operator, Kang said.
South Korea has blamed North Korean hackers for deploying malware and virus-carry emails for a series of cyber attacks on military institutions, banks, government agencies, TV broadcasters and media websites in recent years.
North Korea has denied any involvement in alleged cyber attacks on South Korea.
South Korea has strengthened Internet security since it set up a special cyber command in 2010, amid growing concern over its vulnerability.
The South's Defence Ministry believes North Korea runs an elite cyber warfare unit with up to 6,000 personnel, and regards its ability to launch hacking attacks as a major security threat.
아주경제 임장원 기자 = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
