North Korean Hackers Have Created Fake Naver-Like Web Portal, South Korean Intelligence Says

Naver serves as South Korea's most widely used web portal and search engine.

North Korean hackers have previously been implicated in cyberattacks resulting in substantial monetary gains.

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According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), North Korean hackers have launched a deceptive website that closely resembles the popular South Korean web portal Naver, as reported by Reuters. This marks a more sophisticated approach aimed at targeting users in South Korea, prompting the NIS to issue a warning. The NIS cautioned the public this week, advising against accessing the fraudulent website named "Naver Portal." Additionally, they announced a collaboration with international organisations to track the activities of the group they believe is responsible for the creation of the counterfeit portal.

In a statement on Wednesday, the spy agency noted, "North Korea's hacking attacks targeting South Koreans are becoming increasingly intricate."

Naver, operated by the eponymous tech giant, serves as South Korea's most widely used web portal and search engine, offering a range of services including email, news aggregation, and online shopping.

The NIS did not disclose the number of individuals who may have been deceived by the fraudulent portal or had their personal information compromised.

A representative from Naver urged users to exercise caution when accessing the platform and pay attention to the domain address.

North Korean hackers have previously been implicated in cyberattacks resulting in substantial monetary gains, although Pyongyang has consistently denied involvement in cybercrime.

Earlier this year, the United Nations reported that North Korea had stolen more cryptocurrency assets in 2022 than in any other year. International observers believe that the stolen funds have been funnelled into North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, which are subject to sanctions.

The NIS revealed last month that over 70% of hacking attempts originating from North Korea are conducted through deceptive emails, often posing as communications from South Korean web portals like Naver and Daum. The agency described these tactics as "social engineering" attacks.