One hacker targeted South Korea’s homes equipped with security cameras and smart technology. The hackers then sold naked images and sexual videos online.
Smart technology is a common feature in many new homes and property developments in South Korea. It can be controlled via the internet.
This includes security locks, lights, refrigerators, washing machines heaters and air conditioners.
According to The Times, the hacker also accessed smart phones and security cameras, stealing photos and videos. These included pictures of naked people or sexy men.
Hackers targeted South Korean homes with smart technology. They stole naked photos and sexual videos for sale on the dark internet (stock photo).
IT Chosun reported the cyberattack, after the reporter posed as an interested buyer on darkweb.
After making contact with the hacker, the reporter was offered access to images from a number of properties, for the price of one tenth of a Bitcoin – or around £4,300.
Speaking in the South China Morning Post, Kim Nam-seung from the Ministry of Science and Technology said: ‘This incident is drawing public attention as wall-pad devices, rather than home computers or mobiles, were hacked, and home privacy was widely breached.’
He said that this incident had highlighted how important it is to make sure passwords aren’t easy for anyone to guess.
South Korea’s police received reports of 234,098 cybercrimes in 2020. That is nearly 54,000 more cases than last year.
Cyberfraud and financial fraud were the two most prevalent types of cybercrime among these cases.
According to reports, the hacker charged potential customers one-tenth of bitcoin for stolen images. The imagery is thought to have been obtained through smart security systems. Pictured: Stock photo of Seoul’s modern property in South Korea
In fact, earlier this year the Financial Stability Board stated that increasing cyber-attacks has been fueled by working at home.
Global financial watchdog that coordinates financial rules of the G20 nations has stated that remote work since last year’s economic lockdown opened new avenues for cyberattacks.
The FSB reported that cyber activity such as phishing and malware increased by more than 200,000 per day in April 2021 from less than 5,000 in February 2020.
According to a G20 report, ministers and central bankers discussed lessons learned from the financial crisis’ impact on stability.