Possibility of Insider Involvement in ADD Hacking Confidential Data Leak

In front of the main gate of the Agency for Defense Development. All other facilities are security zones where photography is prohibited.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] It has been reported that the investigation authorities are coordinating a reinvestigation as the classified information leaked in the 2014 hacking incident at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) is highly likely to have been caused by an insider.

On the 27th, a government official stated, "The investigation found that the researcher's computer was infected with malware, which then spread to the server and other computers, but no traces of military data leakage due to hacking were discovered."

According to documents prepared within the military, 15 personnel from the Military Security Support Command, the National Intelligence Service, and the Cyber Command were deployed to investigate the ADD hacking incident. A joint investigation was conducted from April 10 to 25, 2014. The investigation revealed that malware had infected ADD and six servers. The data leaked through the malware consisted only of internet operation status such as internet IP addresses.

However, the joint investigation team identified that 11 other pieces of data were leaked besides the internet operation status. They judged that these data were not leaked due to hacking. The leaked materials included satellite navigation device test procedures, Shingung control device operation procedures, satellite communication software design specifications, and TICN security control system analysis proposals. The materials also contained information such as the department that created them, the researchers, and the research period.

Although the joint investigation team concluded that the data had been leaked through unknown channels in the past, recent suspicions of former ADD researchers leaking a large amount of classified information have led to plans to reinvestigate the incident. It is believed that the leakage of classified information by former ADD researchers has likely been a habitual practice for a long time.

In 2006, a current ADD researcher was arrested on charges of leaking classified radar performance information to an overseas defense contractor. The researcher leaked the information through a military industry consulting firm operated by a former ADD deputy director. Researcher A, who retired in September last year and moved to a private university research institute in the Seoul area as a head, is known to have leaked 680,000 research materials including information on drones and unmanned systems, future warfare, and AI (artificial intelligence) technology.

The Agency for Defense Development stated, "We take this matter seriously," and added, "We will actively cooperate with the investigation to correct the problems and do our best to prepare measures to prevent recurrence."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.