NIS: North Korea attempts to hack into South Koreans’ smartphones

October 28, 2014
"Digital Laundry" services are on the rise in South Korea in order to remove unwanted personal data from the internet (Yonhap)

The NIS estimated that more than 20,000 smartphones in South Korea may have been infected by the applications. (Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — North Korea attempted to hack into South Koreans’ smartphones by spreading malicious applications online, possibly infecting more than 20,000 smartphones, Seoul’s spy agency said Wednesday.

The malicious applications, disguised as games, were spread on South Korean websites between May 19 and Sept. 16, according to a report submitted to the parliamentary intelligence committee by the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Although the NIS did not report any actual damage, it estimated that more than 20,000 smartphones in South Korea may have been infected by the applications.

The NIS said it worked with the websites’ owners and the government to remove the applications, block relevant hacking channels and update computer vaccines.

North Korea is known to operate a wide network of elite hackers from within and outside its borders to conduct cyber attacks on the websites of South Korean government offices, banks and media outlets.

In July, military sources said that the communist state appears to have doubled its number of elite hackers over the past two years to 5,900 personnel.

14 Comments

  1. Pingback: North Korea Is Using Infected Mobile Games To Hack The Phones Of South Koreans | Digital Wealth

  2. Pingback: North Korea Is Using Infected Mobile Games To Hack The Phones Of South Koreans | Daily Carnival - Business

  3. Pingback: North Korea Is Using Infected Mobile Games To Hack The Phones Of South Koreans

  4. Pingback: North Korea Is Using Infected Mobile Games To Hack The Phones Of South Koreans | Business Insider

  5. Pingback: North Korean Gaming App Hacked 20,000 South Korean Mobile Devices: Seoul Report - | ibusinesslines.com

  6. Pingback: North Korea Accused of Hacking South Korean Smartphones — VPN Creative

  7. Pingback: Pyongyang joue à la cyberguerre contre Séoul avec de gentils cochons | Vos nouvelles

  8. Pingback: 北朝鮮のハッキング方法

  9. Pingback: North Korea Denis Any Phone Hacking Allegations - Secureinch

  10. Pingback: Tech: Vigyázzon: ön után is kémkedhetnek, ha ezt letöltötte | NewsCafe Hungaria

  11. Pingback: How North Korea, one of the world’s poorest countries, got so good at hacking » DarknessGate.com

  12. Pingback: North Korea’s Asymmetrical Cyber Threat | The Peninsula

  13. Pingback: North Korean malware hit thousands of phones, says Seoul

  14. gjfpqnxs

    May 7, 2015 at 1:45 AM

    University of Central Missouri: $38,000; $63,100. [url=http://louboutinoutlet.mindbodyease.com/]louboutin outlet[/url] Each of the landing beaches in the 50 miles of coast between the Cotentin Peninsula and the Orne River had been given a codename. The British and Canadians landed on Gold, Juno and Sword beaches to j [url=http://oakleysoutlet.rinosac.com/]oakley glasses[/url]
    I knew I had to act when I nearly fell off the bins while trying to stamp the rubbish as Black Hambledon or perhaps Blakey, between Hutton-le-Hole and Castleton, whereas in other parts of Britain there are similar names such as the Black Mountains, Blackdown and Blackdown Hills. [url=http://hollisteroutlet.pinkstaffscience.com/]hollister clothing[/url] DIARY DATES
    L3A+PHA+PGVtPkdldCB0aGF0IHdlYWsgc3R1ZmYgb3V0dGEgaGVyZSE8L2VtPjwvcD48cD5CdXQg [url=http://katespadeoutlet.pimandmarleen.com/]kate spade outlet[/url] 鈥淚 am honest with them about the聽expectations of UW鈥揗adison,鈥?he says. 鈥淭his is not an easy school, and they have to work hard on and off the court. It takes a great deal of effort to go to UW鈥揗adison, and they need to know that coming in.鈥?z [url=http://coachoutlet.marvelavengersalliancehack.net/]coach factory outlet[/url]
    England are already short of attacking numbers for Tuesday鈥檚 game, as Raheem Sterling has already been given permission to return to Liverpool to have an injection in his toe. With Daniel Sturridge also unavailable, and no new strikers coming into the squad, Kane is set to partner Rooney in attack in Turin. [url=http://michaelkorsoutlet.safaricamkenya.com/]michael kors bags outlet[/url] He did a very good job in seven of the eight years, Bloom said. He just happened to be the guy sitting there when it went in the tank.
    p ZSBhd2FyZCBhbmQgZXZlcnlvbmUgaW4gdGhlIGxlYWd1ZSBrbm93cyBHcmlmZmluIGRpZG4mIzgy [url=http://hollisteroutlet.pinkstaffscience.com/]hollisteroutlet.pinkstaffscience.com[/url] The main lesson from this refugee situation has been that strong commitment and cooperation of the states can help unlock protracted refugee situations, Cecile Fradot, senior protection officer at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Nepal office told IRIN. [url=http://oakleysoutlet.rinosac.com/]oakley sunglasses[/url]
    His 22 league goals puts him fifth in the division鈥檚 top scorers list, which is topped by team-mate Nathan Cartman (35), though Armstrong has netted more goals from open play than the three players immediately above him as they have each netted penalties. [url=http://hollisteroutlet.pinkstaffscience.com/]hollister outlet[/url] Weekend Fixture List http://coachoutlet.marvelavengersalliancehack.net
    McLaren introduces the new 570S model at the New York International Auto Show at the Javits Center on April 1, 2015 in New York City. The auto show opens to the public April 3-12. (Getty Images) [url=http://michaelkorsoutlet.safaricamkenya.com/]michael kors outlet[/url] Torrentz, a file-sharing site based in the United Kingdom, was forced offline briefly by the City of London Police and Intellectual Property Office. j [url=http://raybanoutlet.mishaproductions.com/]ray ban glasses[/url]
    鈥淢ore people know about us now, but you have to put that to one side and just go out and play the game and enjoy it.鈥?[url=http://oakleysoutlet.rinosac.com/]oakley outlet[/url] But as it seems e-cigarettes are here to stay, most calls are for informed regulation rather than prohibition. “The majority of e-cigarettes — especially when they are well regulated — are likely to be less toxic than cigarettes — and that for smokers is an advantage,” says Peruga.
    Google will also fund Reuters to widen news research in Europe, in a kind of Europe-centric news research. [url=http://michaelkorsoutlet.safaricamkenya.com/]michael kors bags outlet[/url] Newspapers have editors and reporters who make decisions about what makes the news. And like (privatised) news corporations, Facebook also has commercial interests in keeping users happy and thus loyal to the service.
    Wisconsin Oven Corporation announced the shipment of two (2) electrically heated walk-in batch ovens that will be used for baking tool castings and curing powder coatings. Due to the limited height of doorways and a freight elevator in the customer鈥檚 150 plus year old mill building, the ovens were built with a horizontal split line. [url=http://louboutinoutlet.mindbodyease.com/]christian louboutin outlet[/url] Goal difference was used experimentally in the 1970 World Cup and introduced into the Football League in 1975, in an attempt to encourage more goals.
    She made therounds ofthe entire 14 floors ofour building tofind that Chechen family. Although she andother neighbors had seen members ofthat family inthe elevator or holding thedownstairs door open formothers with strollers, not asingle neighbor confessed toknowing anything about aChechen family living there. [url=http://coachoutlet.marvelavengersalliancehack.net/]coach outlet online[/url] Compugen’s story teaches that life sciences companies that invest heavily in time and effort in science over many years can achieve a breakthrough, even after the capital market has given up on them. This assumes that the outstanding science is accompanied by successful management (CEO Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag) and a party that backs the company financially or can keep capital market enthusiasm alive (chairman Martin Gerstel).
    c 鈥淚t is high time somebody said what they know.鈥?[url=http://hollisteroutlet.pinkstaffscience.com/]hollister[/url] For sides, we chose a peshwari nan (拢2.70); a sag paneer (拢3.95) 鈥?cheese lightly spiced with spinach; and nut pilau rice (拢3.80).
    AVOID THIRD-AND-LONG: UW has to keep third downs to manageable distances. [url=http://oakleysoutlet.rinosac.com/]oakley outlet[/url] The result is breathing and feeding tubes, powerful drugs and other treatment that often fails to extend life and can make the final days more unpleasant. The report blamed a fee-for-service medical system in which “perverse incentives” exist for doctors and hospitals to choose the most aggressive care, inadequate training for those caring for the dying, and physicians who default to lifesaving treatment because they worry about liability. n [url=http://oakleysoutlet.rinosac.com/]oakley glasses[/url]
    cattle inc OCDS, 140 prime sheep pigs. [url=http://hollisteroutlet.pinkstaffscience.com/]hollister clothing[/url] Why are you such a bad American? he joked with signature bluntness, before lecturing me on the mechanics of competing in a fast-changing world.
    v * Develop an easy to follow weekly meal plan [url=http://coachoutlet.marvelavengersalliancehack.net/]coach outlet online[/url] you need to do is remember a single master password. p
    鈥淭hey are under a new regime with Ashley Giles as coach, and they鈥檒l be wanting to impress. It will be a good test for us and a good game for both teams.鈥?[url=http://katespadeoutlet.pimandmarleen.com/]kate spade outlet[/url] Yorkshire’s Jack Leaning during the LV=County Championship Division One match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 21, 2015. See PA story CRICKET Nottinghamshire. Photo credit should read: Mike Egerton/PA Wire. 锘縖url=http://coachoutlet.marvelavengersalliancehack.net/]coach outlet[/url]
    citizenship to millions while pouring billions of dollars into securing [url=http://louboutinoutlet.mindbodyease.com/]christian louboutin outlet[/url] I’m honoured to play, to pay my respects. I just hope the message of Anzac Day is not lost or compared to [sport]. I respect what they did and do and the sacrifices they made. m [url=http://guccioutlet.rickcagle.com/]gucci factory outlet[/url]
    st-george1 [url=http://michaelkorsoutlet.safaricamkenya.com/]michael kors handbags[/url] He heads to the Farne Islands to go diving for shipwrecks, and discovers some mysterious cannons and the wreck of a ship sunk by the German Luftwaffe in 1941.
    The country’s main bomb disposal school is located at Camp Black Horse, set among a dust-swept field on Kabul’s eastern outskirts, where a rusted-out Russian tank looms on a distant hill, a reminder of Afghanistan’s long legacy of war dating back to the 1980s Soviet occupation. [url=http://louboutinoutlet.mindbodyease.com/]louboutin outlet[/url] Refugees there complained to IRIN of a lack of sufficient food, water and tents. Refugee Judith Yagane told IRIN: “We have not had water for five days. We have just a little to drink each day but not enough for all our needs.” r [url=http://katespadeoutlet.pimandmarleen.com/]kate spade outlet[/url]
    It has proved a serendipitous approach, helping to create a significant international collection in this part of the world. [url=http://coachoutlet.marvelavengersalliancehack.net/]coach outlet[/url] BEIJING, April 27 — Media reports about possible massive mergers and acquisitions (M A) of the country’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are “unverified”, authorities said late on Monday.