N. Korea's most dangerous weapon isn't a missile. It's malware

Seoul is investing in prestigious military hardware, but Pyongyang's cyber attackers are exploiting the soft underbelly of one of the world's most connected societies.

- Wendy Teo South Korea Correspondent

As South Korea celebrates its first nuclear-powered submarine - a prestigious milestone symbolising its rising stature in regional security matters one question looms large: do its cyber defences need similar fortification?

While Seoul has built up a formidable conventional military force over the years, even emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing defence exporters, its Achilles heel may well lie in cyberspace.

North Korea is growing bolder and more aggressive in its attacks, with mounting evidence that it is successfully penetrating the South's cyber defences with increasing frequency.

Just last week, South Korean cyber-security company Genians raised the alarm about an insidious malware spreading through KakaoTalk, the country's ubiquitous messaging platform.

The intrusion began with phishing emails impersonating South Korea's National Tax Service. Once installed, the malware targeted Android devices and hacked into victims' Google accounts by exploiting the "Find Hub" service to remotely reset phones deleting photos, files and contacts, and hijacking victims' KakaoTalk accounts to spread further, posing as "stress relief programmes".

The attack was traced to North Korea's Konni APT, a cyber-espionage group long tied to North Korea intelligence. And it is only the latest in a string of incidents stretching back to the late 2000s.

No doubt South Korea's new nuclear-powered submarine, to be launched in 10 to 15 years, will mark a substantial upgrade in its ability to deter North Korean nuclear aggression. But North Korea is already preparing for warfare in a different domain, one that South Korea looks woefully unprepared for.

NORTH KOREA'S GROWING CYBER ARSENAL