South Korean National Intelligence Service in a recent statement calls for caution over spread of hacking targeting North Korea’s shipbuilding industry.
It has come to light that North Korea has set its sights on shipbuilding companies as part of its strategic efforts to bolster its naval military capabilities. South Korea has reported that North Korea is currently engaged in a series of extensive hacking attacks.
The objective of these attacks is to infiltrate internal systems and distribute phishing emails to unsuspecting employees. Once successful, the hackers proceed to install malicious code, thereby compromising the targeted networks.
According to South Korean authorities, the attack is believed to have been driven by North Korea’s requirement for shipbuilding instructions, specifically pertaining to the construction of medium to large warships.
In light of these developments, South Korea issues a growing call for major shipbuilders and ship parts manufacturers to prioritise and enforce robust cyber security measures.
Generally, cyber attacks are a concerning global security threat. For instance, in its latest Risk Barometer report, Allianz reported that cyber risks, such as IT outages, ransomware attacks or data breaches, rank as the most important risk globally (34% of responses).