(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Following a string of unusually lengthy and sophisticated denial of service attacks that disabled some high-profile US and South Korean websites over the weekend, South Korean sites were hit again in what some officials suspect was the work of North Korea.
The Associated Press reported that seven sites including one belonging to the government were the targets of the third round of cyber assaults, according to Ku Kyo-young of the Korea Communications Commission, a government agency. Initially, 12 South Korean sites were struck Tuesday, followed by a Wednesday attack on 10 others.
The latest attack has sent additional South Korean sites offline as some sites hit in the past few days remained offline or unstable on Thursday, including the National Cyber Security Center, which is affiliated with Seoul’s main intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Service. The Thursday attack’s impact, however, was reduced because those sites took measures to fend off the attack, according to the Korea Communications Commission.
A lawmaker told the Associated Press that the NIS believes North Korea or pro-Pyongyang forces were responsible for the online attacks.
Beginning July 4, websites for several US government agencies, including some that patrol cyber crime, have been under attack by a DoS attack, which made many of these sites slow or inaccessible for as many as three days.
