Pyongyang has always denied involvement in cybercrime (documents)
Seoul:
North Korea’s hacking group has breached at least two South Korean chipmaking equipment manufacturers, South Korea’s spy agency said on Monday, as the country looks to evade sanctions and produce its own semiconductors for its weapons programs.
Previously, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol warned that North Korea might launch cyber attacks or spread fake news and other provocations to interfere in the April parliamentary election.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said South Korean companies have been the main target of North Korean hackers since late last year and called for greater security.
The National Intelligence Service said North Korea penetrated the servers of two companies in December and February and stole product design drawings and photos of their facilities.
“We believe North Korea may be preparing to produce its own semiconductors due to procurement difficulties due to sanctions,” the company said in a statement.
Higher demand for North Korea’s satellite, missile and other weapons programs could also fuel North Korea’s efforts, the report added.
Pyongyang has always denied involvement in cybercrime, although it has been blamed for cyberattacks that caused millions of dollars in damage.
The National Intelligence Service said the hackers used a technique called “living off the land” to minimize malicious code and use existing legitimate tools installed within the server, making it difficult to detect with security software.
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