North Korean hack of US war plans shows off cyber skills

The country's hackers stole military plans developed by the US and South Korea last year

Bloomberg 

Kim Jong-Un (File Photo)
Kim Jong-Un (File Photo)

The techno soldiers of are growing more aggressive in defending North Korea’s supreme leader against threats from and  

The country’s hackers stole military plans developed by the and last year that included a highly classified “decapitation strike” against the North Korean leader, according to a South Korean lawmaker. 

The plans were devised as the regime in Pyongyang steps up nuclear tests and fired long-range missiles toward the Pacific Ocean. 

The episode shows North Korea’s progress in infiltrating computer systems around the world three years after its hackers allegedly pilfered documents from Sony in retaliation for the film, “The Interview.” 

If Kim’s cyber warriors have indeed stolen the top-secret intelligence, it raises alarms about the security of US-information and the effectiveness of potential military options.

“The plan is fundamental to conducting a war operation and leakage of even a small part of it is very critical,” Rhee Cheol-hee, the ruling party lawmaker, said in a telephone interview. “How could we fight against an enemy and win a war if it’s already aware of our strategy?”

First Published: Thu, October 12 2017. 02:53 IST