[Weekend Briefing] Cyber build-up worldwide

By Dain Oh, The Readable
Apr. 5, 2024 8:26PM GMT+9

“Weekend Briefing” is a weekly newsletter sent to subscribers of The Readable every Friday. Our journalists select important news items from the previous week on topics ranging from privacy to policy development in cybersecurity, all to help you stay abreast of the latest breaking issues. And not only is this provided free of cost to our subscribers, but the briefing contains new content exclusive to subscribers, such as our insightful industrial reports.

Cyberspace, with its extensive attack surface, epitomizes the asymmetrical power struggle between attackers and defenders. Attackers need to find only one vulnerability to exploit, while defenders must vigilantly monitor and secure every potential entry point. This dynamic has prompted nations to enhance their cyber capabilities, yet significant challenges remain for those tasked with safeguarding the expanding digital landscape. Sylvie Truong has compiled a report on recent incidents in the aviation industry, highlighting the major cybersecurity challenges being faced there.

This week, the South Korean Navy discussed the use of asymmetric strategies in addressing threats from North Korean submarines. During the discussions, one speaker emphasized the capability to “track and detect underwater threats originating from their motherships.” While the forum, held in Seoul on Wednesday, did not specifically concentrate on cyber issues, it underscored the importance of exploring digital warfare technologies in the future, including unmanned armed systems and artificial intelligence.

Senior officials addressed North Korea’s cyber threats and its role in the global arms race, with both statements reported by Kuksung Nam. Additionally, the coverage includes a story on Google imposing restrictions on its AI chatbot in the lead-up to the forthcoming national assembly elections.

This is Dain Oh reporting from South Korea, and here is your weekend briefing.

1. South Korea issues warning on North Korean cyber threats at the UN

South Korea highlighted concerns on Thursday regarding North Korea’s cyber activities, malicious attacks being undertaken to generate funds for the nation’s illicit missile programs. South Korea called on the international community to work together to address the pressing threat.

Hwang Joon-kook, South Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, highlighted North Korea’s cyber activities as one of three areas of concern regarding malicious cyber behavior that the U.N. Security Council should address. “Illicit cyber activities pose significant challenges to the global non-proliferation framework. A prime example is the malicious cyber activities undertaken by North Korea,” the ambassador emphasized.

Hwang highlighted findings from a U.N. expert report published last March, which disclosed that state-sponsored hacking activities fund 40% of the country’s weapons of mass destruction program. These comments were made during an Arria-formula meeting at the U.N. headquarters in New York, themed “Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape and Its Implications for the Maintenance of International Peace and Security.” South Korea spearheaded this informal cybersecurity event in collaboration with two co-hosts: the United States and Japan. READ MORE

2. Top national security official stresses technology protection in arms race

South Korea’s third national security director highlighted on Thursday the need to both protect and enhance technological development as the country strives to gain the upper hand in the global high-tech arms race.

Wang Yun-jong, the third deputy director of national security, stressed the importance of sustaining technological supremacy among other countries, stating that it needs to be addressed as a national security issue. “In the era of complex crises, we consider maintaining technological superiority as not only a matter of domestic policy but also a matter of national security,” Wang noted.

Wang was appointed the inaugural third deputy director in January, a role created by the government to proactively tackle issues related to economic security, technology, and cybersecurity. He delivered his remarks in a keynote speech at a private event organized by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), an influential business association. The speech was part of the third gathering of the Global Economic Affairs Executives Council, an initiative launched last December to serve as a conduit between the private and public sectors, focusing specifically on global economic and trade issues. READ MORE

3. Cybersecurity challenges in aviation

The increasing frequency of Global Positioning System (GPS) jamming incidents spotlights the cybersecurity challenges currently confronting the aviation industry. Malicious actors intentionally interfere with GPS signals with the aim of disrupting or blocking the precise location tracking and navigation of aircraft. Their objectives are to compromise safety, create chaos in air traffic systems, and possibly exploit geopolitical tensions. While GPS jamming represents just a single facet of a multifaceted cyber threat landscape targeting air traffic, it highlights the existing vulnerabilities within aviation systems.

In late March, an analysis based on open-source intelligence reported that, in less than two days, over 1,600 airplanes experienced GPS interference while flying over Europe. This disruption impacted civilian aircraft, particularly those flying over the Baltic Region, with significant jamming reported in Poland and southern Sweden. Swedish Lieutenant Colonel Joakim Paasikivi suggested to local media that this GPS interference could be attributed to “Russian influence activities or tactics typical of hybrid warfare.” READ MORE

4. South Korean navy discusses maritime security amidst new emerging threats

The South Korean Navy convened its annual forum on Wednesday, bringing together top experts in maritime security from across the nation. Highlighting the concept of asymmetric power, which encompasses capabilities in both aircraft and cyberspace, specialists in the field recommended the implementation of naval missile defense systems to counter the threats posed by North Korean submarines.

In his welcoming address at the Navy Hotel in Seoul on April 3, Yang Yong-mo, Chief of Naval Operations for the Republic of Korea Navy, emphasized the forum’s critical objective. “Today, we gather to address the most pressing questions in national security,” he stated. “This forum is our effort to pinpoint the most significant challenges we face, especially as threats from North Korea and neighboring countries escalate into tangible risks.” READ MORE

5. Google restricts political ads and AI answers on South Korean elections

Google has temporarily ceased the provision of political advertisements in South Korea in anticipation of the national assembly elections next week. Moreover, South Korean users will be unable to receive answers to election-related questions from the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Gemini.

In a statement on the company’s blog dated March 25, Google’s Korea team announced, “To comply with local regulations, we do not support political advertisements during the election period.” While the search giant did not specify the regulation it was adhering to, its decision appears to be influenced by the Public Official Election Act. According to this law, South Korea prohibits the use of unspecified methods for running advertisements, including broadcasters, newspapers, communications, magazines, or other periodicals for election campaigning.

Furthermore, the company has imposed restrictions on using Gemini for election-related queries in the South Korean market. “Google takes its responsibility seriously to provide high-quality information regarding elections and continuously strives to enhance related features,” wrote Google’s Korea team in the same blog post. READ MORE

6. South Korea, US, Japan met to discuss North Korea’s cyber threats

Senior government officials from South Korea, the United States, and Japan met in Washington D.C. on March 29 to coordinate responses to ongoing cyber threats out of North Korea. The meeting was a follow up on agreements reached at Camp David during a summit held in August 2023.

Senior officials represented the three countries, including Lee Jun-il, the Director General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs at the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Lyn Debevoise, the acting Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Policy from the U.S.; and Kumagai Naoki, the Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. In addition to these key figures, representatives from various foreign diplomatic bodies and experts in the North Korean cyber sector also participated. READ MORE

More stories this week…

7. [BBC] Ukraine gives award to foreign vigilantes for hacks on Russia

8. [Washington Post] Microsoft faulted for ‘cascade’ of failures in Chinese hack

9. [CNN] Hackers stole Russian prisoner database to avenge death of Navalny

10. [Time] U.S., U.K. Announce Partnership to Safety Test AI Models

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The cover image of this article was designed by Areum Hwang. This article was copyedited by Arthur Gregory Willers.

Dain Oh is a distinguished journalist based in South Korea, recognized for her exceptional contributions to the field. As the founder and editor-in-chief of The Readable, she has demonstrated her expertise in leading media outlets to success. Prior to establishing The Readable, Dain was a journalist for The Electronic Times, a prestigious IT newspaper in Korea. During her tenure, she extensively covered the cybersecurity industry, delivering groundbreaking reports. Her work included exclusive stories, such as the revelation of incident response information sharing by the National Intelligence Service. These accomplishments led to her receiving the Journalist of the Year Award in 2021 by the Korea Institute of Information Security and Cryptology, a well-deserved accolade bestowed upon her through a unanimous decision. Dain has been invited to speak at several global conferences, including the APEC Women in STEM Principles and Actions, which was funded by the U.S. State Department. Additionally, she is an active member of the Asian American Journalists Association, further exhibiting her commitment to journalism.