Development of countermeasures against North Korean cyberterrorism through research case studies

This paper intends to propose countermeasures against increasingly sophisticated North Korean cyberterrorism through analysis of the cyber attack carried out by North Korea on March 20, 2013, which targeted South Korea’s major television stations and financial institutions, and also the attack of June 25, 2013, which was directed at South Korea’s government. These cyber attacks not only caused South Korea’s major television stations and banks to suffer from frozen computer terminals, but also paralyzed websites including those belonging to the Presidential Office, the Prime Minister’s Office, government institutions and local media companies. This article addresses, firstly, the reasons why cyber attacks are now targeting the websites of media companies and financial institutions, whereas in the past they were intended to paralyze the national government by means of DDoS attacks. Secondly, the article attempts to predict the kinds of attack that can be expected in the future. Thirdly, in order to ensure that there are sound defenses against the continually growing threat of cyber terrorism, the article proposes an optimal system of countermeasures, describing related regulations, response strategies, and security personnel.