[ISN] Defense Industries Assailed by Hackers

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2008 04:05:44 -0500 (CDT)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200809/200809290015.html

The Chosun Ilbo
Sept. 29,2008

The country's defense industry faces a serious security risk from 
hackers. Grand National Party lawmaker said Sunday based on data 
provided by the National Security Research Institute that LIGNex1, a 
guided missile manufacturer, uncovered malicious codes in its major 
computer systems planted by hackers in March, and Hyundai Heavy 
Industries, which makes naval vessels, found them in September.

LIGNex1 develops and manufactures Hyunmoo surface-to-surface missile, 
Haeseong ship-to-ship missile and Shingung portable ground-to-air 
weapons. Hyundai Heavy Industries manufactures Haeseong, the nation's 
first Aegis ship, plus destroyers and submarines for the Navy. Although 
the development costs of such high-tech weapons are kept secret, the 
construction of the King Sejong the Great-class destroyer is said to 
cost over W1 trillion (US$1=W1,165) and development of Haeseong 
ship-to-ship missile W100 billion with each missile at approximately W2 
billion.

The National Security Research Institute, which is affiliated with the 
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, believes hackers 
have planted vicious codes through which they stolen information. "The 
research institute suspects the culprits are Chinese or North Korean 
hackers but doesn't know specifically what information they stole," Kim 
said. "In the worst case, the blueprints of missiles and Aegis ship 
could have been stolen."

"It's shocking that our major defense industries are open to attacks 
from hackers and that our missiles are vulnerable to theft by cyber 
terrorists," the lawmaker added. "A general review of our cyber security 
system is needed."


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Received on Wed Oct 01 2008 - 02:05:44 PDT

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