韩国怀疑朝鲜“对首尔发动猛烈的网络攻击”
来源:Times Online 编辑:Vicki
美国独立日当天,韩国和美国的政府机关,银行和企业网络均受到攻击瘫痪,朝鲜成为最大嫌疑犯。从7月4号开始,美国队财政部和特勤处,韩国的总统府,议会,国防部及外交部均受到一系列网络攻击,如果这次事件真是平壤所为,那么事件就相当敏感了,从年初开出,朝鲜一直对美国和韩国进行一系列的挑衅动作,包括试射导弹。
North Korea 'launches massive cyber attack on Seoul'
North Korea is the main suspect behind a campaign of cyber attacks that have paralysed (麻痹,瘫痪)the websites of US and South Korean government agencies, banks and businesses since American Independence Day.
News of the campaign — which would be the first such large-scale attack attempted by the dictatorship (独裁)— emerged yesterday as an ill and emaciated (衰弱的)Kim Jong Il made a rare public appearance.
US government agencies, ranging from the Treasury Department (财政部)to the Secret Service(特勤处), and South Korea’s presidential office, parliament and defence and foreign ministries were among those hit by the attacks, which began on July 4.
The South Korean intelligence agency told members of parliament that it believed Pyongyang or its agents abroad were behind the attacks.
“This is not a simple attack by individuals,” Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) (国家情报院)said in a statement. “The attack appeared to have been elaborately(苦心经营地) prepared and staged by a certain organisation or state.”
The Yonhap news agency(联合新闻社) quoted an unnamed member of parliament who said that the NIS had suggested that the attacks were the work of North Korea or “a pro-North Korean force”.
Experts said that there was no indication of data theft, but because the websites were still affected four days after the attacks began, an unusually sophisticated denial of service attack had probably been used. Thousands of computers were infected by a virus that flooded websites with traffic, then overloaded their servers and forced them to shut down.
South Korean and US authorities were working to identify the creators of the virus, the NIS said. US officials would not speak publicly about the attack but an emergency notice has been sent to federal departments advising them of precautions(预防措施).
One theory is that they were tests of American and South Korean cyber defences. Security experts warned last year, amid an attack linked to China, that America remained more vulnerable to cyber-terrorism than any conventional form of attack.
President Obama announced the establishment of an inter-agency cyber-security office(机构间网络安全办公室) in May and the Pentagon(五角大楼) added a military Cyber Command (军事网络指挥中心)to supplement the civilian effort last month.
South Korea had warned of the danger of cyber-espionage (网络间谍)by Chinese and North Korean hackers. The country’s Defence Security Command said last month that it was logging attempts to penetrate military networks at an average rate of 95,000 a day.
If the attacks this week are the work of North Korea the timing is significant. Pyongyang has staged a series of verbal and physical provocations this year, including an underground nuclear test and the launch of an intercontinental rocket(洲际火箭).
The aggressive attitude suggests that it has abandoned expectations of negotiation with the international community in favour of whipping up (激励,鼓励)nationalist fervour (热情)at home.