Ethical Hacking News
A datacenter fire in South Korea has disrupted government services, highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyber-attacks. The incident also raises concerns about the reliability of backup systems and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. In related news, US authorities are considering a ban on DJI, and India plans to require 2FA for most digital payments. GreatFire.org has launched a VPN that claims can withstand censorship environments.
South Korea's government services were severely impacted by a datacenter fire, leaving over 617 services offline.The incident highlights the vulnerability of government services to cyber-attacks and the importance of reliable backup systems.NIRS, a critical entity for e-government services, was affected, raising concerns about its disaster recovery plans.Cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure are becoming increasingly common, with human error being a contributing factor.US authorities are considering banning DJI from selling drones on national security grounds due to concerns over the company's ties to China.India plans to require two-factor authentication for most digital payments by 2026, raising concerns about the use of insecure methods.Cyber-scam camp operators are shifting their operations to vulnerable countries as sanctions strike, highlighting the growing threat of cybercrime.Middle East submarine cable problems have caused cloud latency spikes, emphasizing the importance of reliable internet connectivity.A new virtual private network (VPN) has been launched that claims to withstand censorship environments and offer split-tunneling capabilities.
South Korea's government services were severely impacted by a datacenter fire that occurred on Friday night, leaving over 617 services offline. The fire, which was reportedly caused by technicians replacing a lithium-ion battery at the National Information Resources Service (NIRS) datacenter, quickly spread to reach 234 batteries. Firefighters struggled to control the blaze, which burned for several hours before being brought under control.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of government services to cyber-attacks and the importance of having reliable backup systems in place. NIRS is a critical entity responsible for operating e-government services and the infrastructure that supports them. The fact that the agency operates a second datacenter, powered by VMware Cloud Foundation, suggests that it may be able to swiftly restore virtual infrastructure and minimize the impact of the fire.
However, the incident also raises concerns about the reliability of South Korea's government services and the potential consequences of such an event on the country's citizens. The fact that the government was unable to provide adequate backup systems or emergency services in a timely manner has raised questions about the effectiveness of the government's disaster recovery plans.
Furthermore, the incident highlights the growing threat of cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure. The fire was reportedly caused by human error, but it is a stark reminder of the potential risks associated with operating complex technology systems. As more and more sensitive data becomes stored in the cloud, there will be an increasing need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect against such incidents.
In related news, US authorities are currently considering whether to ban DJI, a Chinese drone-maker, from selling drones on national security grounds. The company lost a lawsuit last year in which it sought to have the USA remove it from a list of companies affiliated with the Chinese military. While the listing didn't mean DJI could not sell into the US market, it didn't help and the company wanted to clear its name by arguing that it is not affiliated with China's armed forces and that it does not allow military use of its drones.
However, US District Judge Paul L Friedman felt that the latter argument was irrelevant, that DJI's claims it was unfairly prohibited from competing were not valid, and that the drone-maker's involvement with China's National Enterprise Technology Center means it contributes to the nation's defense industrial base. The incident highlights the ongoing debate about the role of technology companies in national security.
In other news, India has announced plans to require two-factor authentication (2FA) for most digital payments by April 1st, 2026. The rule applies to banks and other types of payment providers, with exemptions for low-value in-person transactions and recurring payments other than the first transaction in a series. However, critics have raised concerns about the use of text messages as an allowable means for distribution of one-time passwords (OTPs), given it is known to be an insecure method of distributing OTPs.
Meanwhile, Huawei has used its own silicon to re-educate DeepSeek so that its output will not bother Beijing. The incident highlights the ongoing tension between China and its adversaries in the tech sector. Cyber-scam camp operators are also shifting their operations to vulnerable countries as sanctions strike, highlighting the growing threat of cybercrime.
In addition, Microsoft and Linode have warned of cloud latency spikes due to Middle East submarine cable problems. The incidents highlight the ongoing importance of reliable internet connectivity for businesses and individuals alike.
Lastly, GreatFire.org has launched a virtual private network (VPN) that it claims can "withstand the world's harshest censorship environments." The VPN, which uses four distinct circumvention methods and offers split-tunneling capabilities, allows users to decide which apps go through the VPN and which connect directly. However, users need to register to use the VPN, which connects to over 100 servers worldwide.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Datacenter-Fire-Disrupts-South-Korean-Government-Services-Highlights-Vulnerability-to-Cyber-Attacks-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/09/28/asia_tech_news_roundup/
Published: Tue Sep 30 00:32:06 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
