Several pro-Russian hacker groups have attacked South Korea’s postal service, Korea Post. The attack was conducted by Russian Cyber Army in collaboration with NoName, HackNet, and CyberDragon. The extent of the damages is unclear.
The Ruso-Ukrainian conflict has split the world in half, with some siding with Ukraine’s right to sovereignty while others going with Russia. The start of the war was the ideal opportunity for many cybercriminal entities to reach power.
NoName is one of them, as the gang currently ranks as the number one cybercriminal entity in the world. However, the Russian Cyber Army has been in use for decades, representing Russia’s interests and operating with impunity on a global scale.
This recent attack was aimed at crippling South Korea’s postal service, as is typically the case with such breaches. Pro-Russian gangs like NoName and the Russian Cyber Army often join forces to conduct more extreme operations for increased effect.
The goal is typically to send a message and cause panic and fear. But, in many cases, the gangs also aim to paralyze and impact public services like the health sector, the emergency services, the public transportation system, etc.
Russian Cyber Army didn’t specifically mention the reason for this recent attack, but one can be easily deduced.
All pro-Russian cybercriminal gangs today aim to achieve one goal: increase Russia’s supremacy and attack those who question or seek to destroy it. While cybercriminal attacks were conducted before February 2022, they ramped up visibly since.
Organizations like NoName and the Russian Cyber Army have targeted Ukraine and its Eastern and Western allies relentlessly since. Some of these attacks have turned into weeks-long campaigns with devastating long-term effects.
One such instance was Moldova’s cyber-bombing, which lasted more than 2 weeks. The culprit: NoName.
But what triggered this recent attack against South Korea? While the hackers didn’t state one clearly, it’s not difficult to find one. South Korea considers itself an ally and friend of Ukraine, which is typically enough to mark the country as a target.
Despite its close ties to the Ukrainian government, South Korea has limited its support to humanitarian packages. No military aid has been provided so far, and there doesn’t seem to be one in plans either. Even so, South Korea’s involvement is enough.
Russian Cyber Army, NoName, KillNet, XakNet, and other pro-Russian gangs will take whatever they can. The groups often conduct massive DDoS hits against anti-Russian targets, no matter their degree of involvement in the current war.
What follows, only the future can tell.
We believe security online security matters and its our mission to make it a safer place.