[EDITORIALS]Fighting cyber attacks

A couple hundred computers belonging to government agencies such as the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute have been hacked into. The fact that the objects of the attack are government organizations that deal with sensitive information and that the attack was well planned and organized is quite shocking. It is undeniable proof that cyber terror and information warfare are in full swing. The National Intelligence Service has determined that this case poses a serious threat to the security of the country.
It is true that the attack was conducted through the use of vicious computer viruses. Nevertheless, the organizations in question cannot deny that they have been slack in their security. Recently, there have been warnings about hacking, and early last month there was a similar case. The damage through hacking and viruses has been increasing two to three times each year. The government organizations, which are in charge of protecting the nation against any security threat, have not done their duty.
The development of information technology and the advent of the information age have, no doubt, made our world more convenient, but they have also increased the risks. If important information networks of the government are exposed to external attacks there is a possibility that our finance, electricity and military systems could go down in the blink of an eye. Hence, such nations as the United States and China are preparing for a cyber war by grooming their own hacker units while developing cyber weapons as well. The cyber war has already started.
Despite being a strong information technology nation, Korea’s thoughts on security are not on the same level. As a result, our country has been the frequent target of cyber attacks. We have to prepare for a future cyber war and cyber terror. Our government, public organizations and companies need to invest more in computer security, while they also need to raise their alert level.
Intrusion detection systems and firewalls need to be strengthened while a professional organization and human resources able to deal with such security issues need to be groomed for the future. In addition, we need to establish an international framework that can deal with hacking problems as a whole. If we do not respond swiftly and quickly to cyber warfare issues, we have to realize that the future of companies, as well as the security of our nation, can be dealt a fatal blow.