Thailand stays vigilant over cyber security attacks

Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has instructed check up on network system and computer data nationwide, reported Thai media on April 29.

The move was to follow reports saying a group of hackers with links to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea using servers in Thailand to carry out cyber-espionage and malware attacks.

Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has instructed check up on network system and computer data nationwide, reported Thai media on April 29 (Illustrative photo: tech.thaivisa.com)

On April 24, McAfee computer security company released a report stating that a group of hackers are using servers in Thailand to launch large-scale attacks in 17 countries and territories, including Thailand, the US, Germany, Japan, China and Australia.

One of the servers used by the hackers was in Thammasat University, among the most famous universities of the country. The hacking tools belong to the Hidden Cobra group, which is believed to spread Wanna Cry ransomware in many computers globally in May 2017.

Those attacks aim to steal information on national infrastructure, telecommunications, finance, insurance and entertainment organisations from all over world. According to McAfee report, the group also plotted attacks on Turkey’s banks in March 2018 and on Sony Pictures in 2014.

On April 25, the Thailand Computer Emergency Response Team also announced that the servers have been seized and handed over to the country’s authorised agencies.

VNA