Net providers on alert for Chinese hackers

The Korean government announced yesterday it has ordered Internet service providers to take precautionary measures after Chinese hackers said they would attack Japanese Web sites as a way to mark the 60th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Concerned that Korean servers might be used in an online battle between Chinese and Japanese Internet users, the Ministry of Information and Communication said it has asked domestic high-speed Internet service providers and 301 universities to strengthen their servers’ security. KT, the largest Internet provider in Korea, said it has created a 24-hour emergency countermeasure team that will operate until tomorrow. The emergency team will look for any unusual signs in international Internet traffic and continuously check on potential trespassers on its servers. Dacom said it has three special teams with a total of 80 experts. Additionally, it has raised the number of employees on alert during the national holiday, which is today. AhnLab, a maker of anti-virus software, also started emergency operations during the national holiday to watch for any Internet security breaches. “As a cyber war alert has been issued, security measures on personal computers should be strengthened,” said an official at AhnLab. Users can do their part as well, he said. “It is best to turn off computers or run a security program during the national holiday,” he said. by Lee Hee-sung