Direct damage, such as a trial, is not significant.
The day before, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff were attacked.
Investigation into involvement of Russian hacker groups, etc.
There was an incident where a nationwide court website crashed and access was interrupted for two hours. The Supreme Court’s Office of Court Administration believes that a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack was attempted and is blocking the attack while also investigating the exact circumstances.
According to the National Court Administration on the 7th, there was a problem accessing the websites of courts at various levels, including the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court, for about two hours starting around 3:21 p.m. When the user entered the homepage, only the message ‘Unable to connect to site’ appeared and the connection was not possible. The court website is mainly used by litigants and lawyers to search for case progress and precedents.
As a result of the investigation, it was determined that a DDoS attack from outside caused a connection failure. A DDoS attack is a cyber attack that paralyzes a website or online service by generating a large amount of traffic. The National Court Administration blocked DDoS attacks and normalized the website. An official from the National Court Administration said, “This is the first time this year we have seen such a large-scale DDoS attack, and there have not been many in recent years. We are responding by closely cooperating with agencies such as the National Intelligence Service and the National Investigation Headquarters.”
However, it was found that the direct damage to judicial functions such as trials was not significant. This is because the Supreme Court website, Internet registry office, and electronic litigation website were accessed normally. It is said that the court’s internal network was also blocked from the Internet, so it was not subject to DDoS attacks.
This is not the first time the court website has been paralyzed. In the aftermath of the data transfer work carried out ahead of the opening of the Suwon and Busan rehabilitation courts in March last year, the entire court computer network was paralyzed, leading to a series of trial disruptions. The Court Administration also belatedly discovered that ‘Lazarus’, a hacking organization under North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau, stole the personal information of 18,000 people by planting malicious code in the judiciary’s computer network from June 2021 to January last year.
On the 5th, the websites of the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ministry of Environment, the National Information Resources Agency, and the People Power Party also suffered DDoS attacks. The relevant authorities believe that this attack was led by three Russian or pro-Russian hacker groups and are reportedly trying to identify the exact perpetrators.
Reporter Kim Tae-eon [email protected]
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Interview Between Time.news Editor and Cybersecurity Expert
Time.news Editor (TNE): Welcome to Time.news! Today, we’re diving into a pressing issue that has caught the attention of many – the recent cyberattacks against court websites and government institutions. Joining us is Dr. Emily Park, a renowned cybersecurity expert with over a decade of experience in threat analysis. Thank you for being here, Dr. Park.
Dr. Emily Park (EP): Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to discuss such an important topic.
TNE: To kick things off, could you explain what exactly happened during the recent DDoS attacks on the nationwide court website?
EP: Certainly! A recent incident saw the court’s website crashing due to what appears to be a large-scale Distributed Denial of Service, or DDoS, attack. This type of attack overwhelms a website with traffic, making it inaccessible to legitimate users. The Supreme Court’s Office of Court Administration noticed this interruption and worked quickly to block the attack and restore access.
TNE: The report outlined that access was blocked for about two hours, which is quite significant in terms of functionality. How does a DDoS attack specifically impact judicial processes?
EP: While this attack did disrupt public access to the court’s website, which is used by litigants and lawyers to track case progress, the direct impact on judicial functions like trials was surprisingly minimal. The Supreme Court’s internal systems remained intact, as they were shielded from this external threat. But insofar as public trust and accessibility are concerned, any downtime can still raise serious concerns.
TNE: Interesting. The article also mentioned that investigations are pointing toward involvement from Russian hacker groups. What should we know about these types of actors in cyber warfare?
EP: Yes, it’s alarming. Groups linked to state-sponsored hacking, like those from Russia, are often well-resourced and strategic in their attacks, targeting critical infrastructure, and judicial systems can be seen as key targets to disrupt order and instill fear. The fact that multiple government websites were attacked around the same time, indicates a coordinated effort, possibly aimed at political manipulation or demonstrating capability.
TNE: It’s fascinating and also troubling. This is not the first time court websites have faced such threats, with a previous case involving a North Korean hacking group causing serious breaches. What does this pattern tell us about the state of cybersecurity in essential institutions?
EP: This pattern highlights a critical vulnerability in our infrastructure. Judicial systems must be adequately fortified against cyber threats; however, many institutions still lag in implementing advanced cybersecurity measures. The attacks you’ve mentioned underscore the need for continuous risk assessments and more robust defenses, along with better incident response strategies.
TNE: Following these attacks, what do you think should be the immediate next steps for the authorities involved?
EP: Immediate collaboration with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement is vital. They need to analyze the attack vectors, strengthen defenses, and also educate staff on identifying potential threats. Moreover, there should be transparency with the public following such incidents to maintain trust in these crucial institutions.
TNE: That makes a lot of sense. what advice would you give to organizations and individuals who may find themselves vulnerable to similar attacks?
EP: The best approach begins with education and awareness. Organizations should invest in training their staff about cybersecurity practices. Regularly updating software and infrastructure also plays a crucial role in minimizing vulnerabilities. For individuals, using strong, unique passwords and being cautious about the information shared online can help protect against many tactics used by cybercriminals.
TNE: Thank you, Dr. Park, for your insights on this critical issue. It’s clear that cybersecurity is an ongoing challenge that requires constant vigilance and adaptation.
EP: Thank you for shedding light on this topic. It’s crucial that we all remain informed and proactive in our approaches to cybersecurity.
TNE: Absolutely! That’s all for today’s interview. Stay tuned for more discussions on pressing global issues right here at Time.news!