SEOUL: Hackers say they have leaked personal details of tens of thousands of US troops to websites, South Korean news reports and online security officials said yesterday, a day after cyber attacks disabled access to government and news sites.
The hacking attacks on Tuesday, the anniversary of the start of the Korean War in 1950, brought down the main websites of South Korea’s presidential office and some local newspapers, prompting cyber security officials to raise the alert.
The identity and motives of the attackers were not immediately clear, but the reports come as cyber security and surveillance have become a global issue, with the United States seeking fugitive former security contractor Edward Snowden who leaked details about US surveillance to the media.
North Korea has been blamed for previous cyber attacks on South Korean banks and government networks, although it denies responsibility and has said it has also been a victim.
The unidentified hackers said they had secured and released publicly personal details of more than two million South Korean ruling party workers and 40,000 US troops, including those stationed in South Korea.
“We have seen the sites where the details were posted and clips that supposedly capture the process of hacking into web sites,” an official at the South Korean online security firm NSHC said.
The US military in South Korea, where 28,500 US troops are stationed, did not immediately comment. Personal details such as dates of birth and ranks of 40,000 US troops including members of the 25th Infantry Division and the 3rd Marine Division were leaked to unspecified websites.
The websites of the presidential Blue House and the Prime Minister’s office were down for more than six hours on Tuesday.
North Korea is believed to be running a large corps of computer experts aimed at hacking into the networks of governments and financial institutions.
REUTERS
