UN agency may protest cyberattack

A United Nations agency responsible for information and communication technologies could urge North Korea to stop its run of cyberattacks on South Korea, a U.S. report said yesterday.

In an interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA), Sanjay Acharya, spokesman for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said the board of directors at the Geneva-based agency could pressure North Korea since it’s a member of the ITU.

Acharya also said a member nation that has been victimized by cyberattacks can lodge a complaint with the ITU board, but added South Korea has yet to make such a move.

The RFA said there is no international agency or measure that can punish North Korea for hacking. The expert said the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats, an alliance designed to help countries with their cybersecurity, is aware of North Korean activities but is in no position to investigate or stop such actions.

Earlier this week, South Korea condemned the North for a cyberattack that paralyzed the computer network of a major lender last month.

Yonhap