South Korea Warns Against North’s Hacking Of Construction Data

By Taejun Kang

South Korea’s cybersecurity authorities warned about attempts by North Korea to hack construction and machinery information to steal data to support its development efforts.

There has been a sharp increase this year in North Korea’s hacking attempts to steal such information, said the Korea Cybersecurity Intelligence Community, which includes the main spy agency, prosecution service, police and military, in a joint statement.

The North’s hacking groups used the “watering hole” method, which targets a large number of users by infecting websites they commonly visit, and malicious codes to steal information, they added.

In particular, the North Korean hacking group Kimsuky distributed the malware in January this year through the website of a professional organization in South Korea’s construction sector, according to the authorities. 

The malware was hidden in secure authentication software used to log into the website, which infected the computer systems of employees of local governments, public institutions and construction companies who accessed the website.

The authorities said North Korean hackers were seeking such information to help their country build plants and develop cities.

In fact, North Korea launched a “regional development 20×10 policy” in January this year, which mandates the establishment of industrial factories in 20 counties per year for the next 10 years.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented the plan to delegates of the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang on Jan. 15.

The plan is based on a project in North Korea’s Kimhwa County, in Kangwon Province, that was launched after the area was damaged by floods. Over the past two years, factories have been built, supplying food, clothes, building materials, paper and consumer goods.