The Marmot’s Hole

Apparently, a hacker in a third country used Korean computers in Incheon and Daegu to hack computers belonging to U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM):

Korean police and their U.S counterpart began a joint investigation as several computers of an army unit under the U.S Air Force Space Command (SPACECOM) were hacked by an individual in a third country via a Korean firms?�� computers in mid-February.

The U.S. concluded that it was a serious case and hurriedly dispatched its investigators to Korea. The two countries began to establish a closely cooperative investigation system and have shared information to identify the hacker.

The U.S Air Force Space Command is one of nine major joint forces commands under the Department of Defense and the core part that directs, controls and operates U.S. state-of-the-art military sections, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles, satellites and radar equipment.

The Cyber Terror Response Center of the Korea Police Agency said Friday that it launched an investigation, as the U.S. had notified that a third country?��s person had hacked into several computers of an army unit under the U.S Air Force Space Command. It was revealed that the hacker used computer servers of two Korean companies, the center said.

What I like about this report, though, is what it says about the mysterious “third country”:

The third country is another major Asian nation, but the police agency has not revealed the name of the country, giving consideration to international relations. The hacker hacked into the computers of the U.S Air Force Space Command via two Korean private firms located in Inchon and Daegu. The hacker used Korean computers by remote control in the third country to penetrate into the U.S computers. The hacking was possible because Korea?��s Internet network is the most highly developed in the world and has a close connection with the U.S., and Korean companies?�� computer networks are poorly managed due to firms’ low security awareness.

Another major Asian nation, eh? Hacking into a U.S. military agency that, perhaps coincidentally, is also responsible for developing missile defense? Got to be those damn Mongolians!

A police investigator said that the two Korean firms did not realize their computers were hacked. The third country hacker showed high technical prowess by using two computers simultaneously to dodge police.

Oh, those crafty Mongolian hackers….

This person hacked into computers of 12 countries like Taiwan and Japan, besides the U.S., by using Korean computers. The hacker explored target computers prior to hacking them 120,000 times alone, the police officer said.

Oh my God! The Mongolians are hacking the Taiwanese and Japanese, too!

Korea and the U.S. have almost identified who the hacker is and are to ask the third country to cooperate in arresting the culprit.

Good luck — I’m not sure how the People’s Liberation Army Mongolians will feel about turning over one of their hackers.

The US Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and the Computer Crime Investigation Unit (CCIU) sent two army and navy investigators to Korea. They are sharing information and discussing the future direction of the investigation with Korean police.

Judging from the pic, those investigators best be careful with those noses. Wouldn’t want to poke someone’s eye out with one of those things, now would we?