North Korean hackers attack pharmaceutical companies in South Korea
Hackers North Korea attempted to obtain data of South Korean pharmaceutical companies, but intelligence prevent hacking, news agency Yonhap citing statements by deputies.
According to the agency, Civil Force MP Ha Kyung Tae and Secretary of the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee announced the news on Tuesday after hearing a report from the National Intelligence Agency (NIS).He added that the average daily number of hacker attacks has grown by 32% compared to last year.
Among them are attacks on the networks of local administrations, attempts to get hold of advanced technologies, viral letters to key employees in the country and blackmail of South Korean companies using ransomware viruses.
“Among (those who conduct them – ed.) There are both Chinese and Russian hackers, but mainly North Korean ones,” said Kim Byung Gi , a member of the ruling United Democratic Party of Korea and secretary of the parliamentary intelligence committee.
Also on the English-language website of the Ryonhap agency, a message appeared that, according to NIS, hackers in North Korea tried to obtain data on the vaccine and treatment of the Pfizer coronavirus.
The agency did not provide any details, and the message was removed from the Korean version of its website.At the end of November last year, NIS already reported on attacks by North Korean hackers on South Korean developers of vaccines against coronavirus.
Exactly which companies were attacked were not reported, but no damage was done as the National Intelligence Agency was able to stop the attacks.Currently, South Korea has approved Phase I or Phase II clinical trials for eight COVID-19 candidate vaccines .