Page 37 - Cyber Defense eMagazine for August 2021

Evaluating Security Practices in Response to Colonial

Pipeline And South Korean KAERI Attacks

Zero Trust and Enforcing the Principle of Least Privilege Have Become Crucially Important.

By Garret Grajek, CEO, YouAttest

In recent news, we have seen several high-profile attacks on major institutions in the United States and
abroad. In early May of this year, the Colonial Pipeline in the United States was attacked and late last
month it was reported that a North Korean hacking group, Kimsuky, breached the network of the Korea
Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) on May 14th. KAERI was established in 1959 to achieve self-
reliance in nuclear core technologies and has since achieved that goal, making it a prime target for an
energy-starved North Korea. In the wake of these attacks, we must reflect on the strengths and
vulnerabilities of our cybersecurity mitigation attempts and look to bolster those efforts.

In the case of the South Korean attack, if the North Korean espionage group successfully exfiltrated
information, it is believed this could be the largest security breach in South Korea since the attack on the
defense ministry in 2016. The group could have gained access to information that would benefit the
nuclear programs in North Korea, as KAERI has information on small modular reactors and other power

Cyber Defense eMagazine – August 2021 Edition 37
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