South Korean government servers, specifically in Daejeon City, have fallen prey to cryptojacking. This cybersecurity breach allowed hackers to exploit the computational resources of these servers for cryptocurrency mining. This incident is part of a larger trend, as 2023 witnessed over 332 million cases of cryptojacking globally, marking a significant increase from the previous year.
Breaking Down the Daejeon City Cyber Attack
The attack on Daejeon City’s servers was meticulously executed. Hackers first gained access by cracking the passwords of administrative accounts. Subsequently, they introduced malware into the system, repurposing it for mining cryptocurrencies. This intrusion remained undetected until a government joint audit conducted on June 2, 2023, uncovered the malware. Following this discovery, the city’s cyber department took immediate action, notifying South Korea’s National Intelligence Services.
Cryptojacking, the practice of unauthorized use of someone else’s computing resources to mine cryptocurrency, is becoming increasingly common. This method is particularly insidious as it remains hidden, often causing significant performance degradation and increased energy costs for the victim.
Global Surge in Cryptojacking Incidents
2023 saw a dramatic rise in cryptojacking cases, with BeInCrypto reporting an alarming figure of 332 million incidents. This number nearly tripled from the 139 million reported in 2022, signaling a growing threat in the digital world.
Amidst the rising tide of cryptojacking, law enforcement agencies have been fighting back. Europol, in collaboration with the Ukrainian National Police, made a significant breakthrough by arresting a 29-year-old individual in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. This person was allegedly responsible for mining over $2 million in cryptocurrencies through cryptojacking. This arrest was the result of months of cooperative efforts between various agencies and cloud providers.
Apart from tackling cryptojacking, Europol has been active in seizing illegal crypto funds. A notable success story from March 2023 involves the seizure of nearly $50 million worth of Bitcoin in a joint operation against the platform ChipMixer.