N Korea doubles number of cyber warriors over 2 years in effort to step up cyberattacks - report
6 July 2014, 08:32 -- North Korea has almost doubled the number of elite hackers over the past two years in an effort to launch mass cyberattacks, the South's Yonhap news agency reported Sunday citing military sources.
'North Korea appears to have some 5,900 personnel for cyberwarfare, up from around 3,000 two years ago,' a military source said.
'The communist country operates a hacking unit under its General Bureau of Reconnaissance, which is home to some 1,200 professional hackers,' he added, noting that they have been carrying out cyberattacks by establishing overseas bases in countries such as China, Korea Times reports.
In particular, the North has been carrying out cyberattacks by establishing overseas bases in countries such as China.
The North's hacking unit under its General Bureau of Reconnaissance is home to some 1,200 professional hackers, the report said.
To compare, the United States has about 80,000 people in its cyberoperations units, North Korea outnumbers both the US and Japan in terms of the number of elite hackers, another source said. The US has 900, while Japan has 90, Korea Times reports quoting the source.
North Korea's cyberattacks target the websites of South Korean government offices, as well as local banks and media outlets.
The South has launched the Cyber Command, which has some 400 personnel, to guard against these attacks.
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