S.Korea Rises Cyberattack Alert Level, Expects Increase in Attacks From North

The South Korean Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning raised the cyberattacks alert level in attempt to strengthen the country’s defenses against attacks from North Korea, which are expected to increase, local media reported on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The South Korean Ministry of Science raised the cyberattacks alert to the second-highest level on a five-notch scale, the Yonhap news agency said.

According to the ministry, cyberattacks on South Korean government agencies have recently increased, the media added.

Over the past month, several South Korea embassies were attacked, as well as the retail giant Lotte Group and a number of other firms, the media said, adding that the attack on Lotte Group could possibly have been prepared by Beijing as part of China’s campaign against Seoul’s decision to deploy THAAD missile defense system.

In August 2016, South Korea's cybercommand came under a cyberattack in August that affected a total of 3,200 computers, including 700 linked with the military intranet system. The South Korean Defense Ministry suspected Pyongyang of conducting the attack.

In December, the South Korean Internet and Security Agency (KISA) warned about the possible rise of cyberattacks on the state institutions and infrastructure facilities in 2017 amid political instability in the country caused by the scandal around impeached President Park Geun-hye.