North Korea created a fake version of South Korea's largest internet portal, Naver.
A South Korean pedestrian uses a home-grown search engine through a public computer set up at a subway station in Seoul on May 26, 2008. Despite Google's presence in South Korea, over 70 percent of domestic web searchers use the local Internet portal Naver.com.
Because of this replication, the National Intelligence Service, Seoul's chief intelligence agency, accused Pyongyang of data theft.
The online platform, which is operated by the Naver Corporation, is very important to South Korean residents. This is why the fake Naver website created by North Korea is an alarming one.
North Korea Fakes SoKor's Naver Website!
The original Naver has the URL "www.naver.com." Now, the fake version of North Korea has the URL "www.naverportal.com."
A South Korean pedestrian uses a home-grown search engine through a public computer set up at a subway station in Seoul on May 26, 2008. Despite Google's presence in South Korea, over 70 percent of domestic web searchers use the local Internet portal Naver.com.
South Korea's intelligence agency claimed that Pyongyang developed this malicious version of Naver to hack South Korean residents' Naver IDs and passwords.
NIS added that once these sensitive details are acquired, Pyongyang can easily access more valuable personal data of South Koreans.
"As North Korea's hacking attack methods against our people are becoming more sophisticated, we ask people to be extra vigilant," explained NIS via The Straits Times.
"Please cease accessing it immediately if you spot a page that's not a standard Naver access domain URL," added the chief intelligence organization.
Since the fake Naver website is very concerning for South Koreans, NIS already took measures to block the phishing site from South Korean users.
SoKor's Efforts To Enhance Cybersecurity
South Korea's Foreign Ministry confirmed on June 14 that it collaborated with the American cybersecurity firm Mandiant, which is also a Google subsidiary.
Officials said that the latest cybersecurity partnership with Mandiant will allow them to better respond against North Korea's cyberattacks.
Seoul's Foreign Ministry explained that North Korea's omnidirectional cyberattacks are being conducted across the globe.
These malicious campaigns include cryptocurrency thefts, as well as sensitive information hacking activities, as reported by The Manila Times.
SoKor's officials further stated that Pyongyang's cyberattacks are not only affecting individuals and companies, but they also pose a severe threat to the global information technology ecosystem.
In 2022, Pyongyang was accused by Tokyo, Washington, and Seoul of stealing over $1 billion in cryptocurrencies.
They also warned that North Korea has been gathering sensitive information through hacking and other malicious activities just to support its weapons programs.
If you want to learn more details about the cyberattacks conducted by North Korea, you can click this link.
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