South Korea warns of increased malware attacks

According to the South Korean Ministry of Science and Information Technology, last year there were 127 ransomware attacks, a threefold increase from the previous year.

(Artwork. Source: bitcoinexchangeguide.com) Ransomware attacks have been on the rise in South Korea over the past year, paralyzing hospitals and shopping malls amid the COVID-19 pandemic leading to an increase in online shopping activities. . On June 3, a large plastic surgery hospital in the south of Seoul announced on its website that its server had been attacked with ransomware and that hackers appeared to have stolen data. patient’s personal data. This is the latest in a series of recently reported ransomware attacks – a tactic used by cybercriminals to infiltrate businesses’ systems and use their data to demand ransom. ransom. According to the South Korean Ministry of Science and Information Technology, last year there were 127 ransomware attacks, a threefold increase from the previous year. Since the beginning of this year, the country has recorded 65 attacks with ransomware. Malware attacks blackmail was aimed at various businesses in Korea. Last month, food delivery company Super Hero’s operations were paralyzed for hours after an attack that affected 15,000 delivery workers nationwide. Last November, local fashion and retail group E-Land was also “inquired” by hackers, forcing 23 of the 50 branches of the NC Department Store and NewCore Outlet to suspend operations. Mr. Kim Seung-joo, Professor of Cyber ​​Security at University Korea , commented that as companies are forced to choose to increase their reliance on remote work during the pandemic, cyber attacks malicious code Blackmail has become a bigger threat because they can paralyze the entire working system. This has led to many companies paying a ransom and has led hackers to carry out more attacks. He urged businesses to invest in cybersecurity to prevent the threat in the first place. In response to ransomware attacks in the near future, last month, the Korean Ministry of Information and Communications Technology set up a 24-hour monitoring group to support hacked companies. . The government is now providing assistance to affected companies in system recovery.