[time-nuts] N. Korea jammed GPS signal in S. Korea

[J. Forster]

N. Korea jammed GPS signal in S. Korea, say reports  The disruption
allegedly caused malfunction in mobile phones

SEOUL — North Korea is responsible for the disruption of GPS signals in
some part of South Korea's capital region last week that caused
malfunctions in mobile phones, media reports quoted officials as saying on
Sunday.

Communications officials could not say whether the North was behind
separate cyber attacks on government websites including that of the
presidential Blue House and the Defense Ministry since Friday that slowed
or disabled them for hours.

If the North were responsible for either or both of the incidents, it
could mark an escalation of tension between the rivals already high from
two attacks on South Korean territory last year and ensuing exchange of
threats of war and retaliation.

North Korea was suspected of a massive wave of cyber attacks on U.S. and
South Korean government and corporate websites in 2009.

Signals intended to disrupt GPS and other wireless communications were
detected originating in North Korea's border cities of Kaesong and Haeju
on Friday, Yonhap news agency quoted military officials as saying.

The signals resulted in the disruption of some mobile phone functions that
use GPS signals, such as network-based clocks, electronics devices used by
artillery units in the South, and some equipment at commercial
organizations, Yonhap quoted the officials as saying.

South Korea's Defense Ministry did not comment on the report.

The signal-scrambling may have been intended to disrupt the joint military
drills by South Korean and U.S. forces that run until March 10, Yonhap
said.

In a separate attack on personal computers, malicious software have been
used in cyber attacks on some government agency Web sites since Friday,
but no serious damage has been reported.

Telecommunications authorities and the police are working to determine the
source of the software.

-John

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