A security expert warned Thursday that cyber threats and conflicts have a profound impact on international politics and security, reaching far beyond technical concerns.
Song Tae-eun, an assistant professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized Thursday at the 12th Cyber National Strategy Forum that cybersecurity in international conflicts—such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war—is increasingly extending into cyberspace, sparking new forms of conflict.
The expert described war as a “festival period” for hackers, providing opportunities for bitcoin theft and network breaches. Cyberspace has become a global crime arena without borders, where criminal tools are distributed on the dark web, and artificial intelligence-driven attacks are making cyber threats increasingly sophisticated and coordinated.
The expert added that cyberattacks are becoming increasingly “industrialized.” Hackers are now creating tools like malicious software and selling them on the dark web, allowing other hackers who lack development skills to purchase these tools at low cost. This trend is contributing to a rise in cyberattacks.
The professor further warned that AI is being weaponized in cybercrime. If attackers use AI to automatically identify network vulnerabilities and launch attacks, it could become nearly impossible to stop them. Consequently, she emphasized that AI-driven defenses must become equally sophisticated.
Song highlighted that AI is actively used in “cognitive warfare” through fake news and public opinion manipulation. For instance, in the Israel-Hamas war, Hamas—supported by Iran—has been shaping public opinion on social media. Conversely, tech giants like Google and Meta are aiding Ukraine by blocking Russian disinformation.
The issue of cyber threats extends beyond war-torn countries; it is a global concern. Song stressed the importance of international security cooperation to counter these threats, highlighting joint efforts by nations like South Korea and the United States in responding to cyber challenges.
“Recently, South Korea successfully completed a cyber exercise with the U.S., demonstrating its strong cyber capabilities,” said Professor Song. “However, its budget and manpower are stretched to the limit. South Korea must compensate by strengthening its leadership in cybersecurity and enhancing security cooperation.” She added, “There are many countries in the Indo-Pacific region that have strong cyber capabilities. We need to collaborate with them to develop strategies for emerging threats like hybrid and cognitive warfare.”
Related article: [Perspective] The true meaning of ROK-US cyber exercise
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense released a seemingly ordinary public statement on January 26. It announced that its Cyber Operations Command had conducted its first cyber exercise in collaboration with its United States counterpart to strengthen their collective defenses against cyber threats. Perhaps due to the statement’s brevity and its dry tone, local news outlets that published the press release barely noted the significance of this event for the nation.
The joint cyber exercise, conducted by South Korea’s cyber command in collaboration with the U.S. Cyber Command, took place in Seoul from January 15 to January 26. During this period, the South Korean cyber command opened its training facilities to its U.S. counterparts to engage in a comprehensive cyber drill. This drill focused on mastering the sharing of threat information and responding to threats. A high-level official, with direct knowledge of the exercise and who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, described the training as encompassing “severe scenarios.” These scenarios were rigorously executed by cyber agents from both South Korea and the U.S.
The latest event highlighted two significant “firsts.” For the first time, the Republic of Korea engaged in a bilateral cyber exercise with another country, underscoring the escalating importance of cyber threats as global national security issues that necessitate international cooperation. Although South Korea has previously taken part in multinational cyber training exercises, such as the “Cyber Flag” led by the U.S. in July 2023 and NATO’s “Cyber Coalition” in December 2023, the practice of conducting a bilateral cyber exercise specifically aimed at a mutual adversary was unprecedented on the Korean Peninsula until last month. READ MORE
