As the nation tries to avoid sanctions and produce its own semiconductors for weapons programs, North Korea’s spy agency reported on Monday ( Mar 4 ) that at least two South Korean manufacturers of chipmaking equipment have been broken into by hackers.
Following Yoon Suk Yeol’s warning that North Korea might launch actions, such as cyberattacks or the spread of fake information, to interfere in April’s political elections, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made the announcement.
Since late last year, the South Korean businesses have been a major target of North Korean hackers, according to the National Intelligence Service ( NIS), and it has called for more stringent security.
In December and February, the NIS reported that North Korea allegedly stole product layout designs and photos from two businesses ‘ machines.
In a statement, it said,” We think that North Korea might be preparing to make its own electronics in the face of challenges in obtaining them due to sanctions.”
Higher demand for its dish, weapon, and other arms programs might also be a factor in the North’s efforts, it added.
Pyongyang has never denied participation in attacks, despite North Korea being held accountable for attacks that cost millions of dollars.
According to the NIS, the attackers used a method known as “living off the land,” which minimizes malicious code and uses already-existing, genuine resources on the servers, making it difficult to identify with security program.