SEOUL – A hacker group believed linked to North Korea has attempted to steal data from South Korean experts who are members of a Defence Ministry advisory panel, the Yonhap news agency reported a cybersecurity firm as saying today.
Emails were sent to some members of the panel earlier this month from hackers who disguised themselves as a North Korea-related Defence Ministry department, notifying them of an upcoming seminar in conjunction with the anniversary of a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, said ESTsecurity.
Another email was sent a few days later, asking the panel members to open attached documents purportedly related to the event, and made to appear like official government papers.
ESTsecurity said it suspects Pyongyang-linked hacking organisation Thallium to be behind the attempted attack.
The hackers attached malicious files disguised as government documents to emails that can install malware on users’ computers, allowing them to steal information.
No “visible damage” from the scam has been reported as yet, added ESTsecurity.
It said the cyberattack is the latest in a series of hacking incidents suspected of being carried out by North Korean groups.
Thallium in the past has targeted journalists and officials in the South’s foreign relations and security sectors.
In June, North Korean hackers allegedly engaged in attacks using manipulated email addresses from South Korean ministries to steal user information.
ESTsecurity said hacking incidents suspected of being carried out by North Korean groups have increased of late, and called on Seoul’s government and private sector to keep their guard up.
The South’s spy agency last month stepped up an advisory on the cyber threat posed by the North. – Bernama, September 12, 2021
