Hackers from North Korea targeted South Korean foreign policy experts

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According to South Korea's National Police Agency, hackers working for the North Korean government have targeted at least 892 of its foreign policy makers to steal personal data, email lists and carrying out ransomware attacks on online malls.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, South Korean authorities say that some of the attacks were successful in prying login and other sensitive information from the victims.

The agency told the press that the attacks began in April last year, and targeted think tank experts and professors. The hackers sent phishing emails posing as public figures in South Korea to break into accounts.

This included attacks on a secretary from the officers of China's PPP ruling party, and officials from the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. These emails often included links to fake websites or had an attachment that would drop a virus in their systems.

The agency said that 49 of the victims were fooled by the phishing techniques, allowing hackers to monitor their emails and download data.

They also said that the attackers employed a network of 326 servers in 26 different countries, and laundered their IP addresses.

The police also detected use of ransomware. They say the hackers targeted online stores and shopping malls with vulnerabilities in the security systems.

Nineteen servers that belong to thirteen different companies were hit, and had to pay out a ransom of $1,980 worth of bitcoin to the group.