Military cyber command expands to better handle N. Korean attacks

The military on Friday expanded its cyber warfare unit to improve its readiness against North Korean hacking threats, the defense ministry said.    The Cyber Command moved under the auspices of the defense ministry in a ceremony on Friday. The command, which was launched in January last year, had been controlled by the military's intelligence headquarters.    "The move is to bolster our ability to respond to cyber terrorism," said Kim Gwang-woo, head of planning and coordination at the defense ministry. "This will also make our command structure in cyber warfare more efficient."    Kim said the size of the unit will nearly double to about 900 deep.    The command was formed last year in response to a series of North Korean hacking attacks that paralyzed several government Web sites. Earlier this year, North Korea was also blamed for disrupting operations at a major South Korean bank.    Kim Min-seok, the ministry spokesman, said the cyber command will help protect the military's cyber infrastructure as well as government and private Web sites.    "By having the cyber command under the defense ministry, it will be easier to coordinate with the local information technology industry," Kim said. "Overall, the move will facilitate building the conditions and environment to respond to cyber threats."    According to South Korea's Defense Security Command, North Korea has been strategically developing its 1,000-strong cyber warfare unit. Most attacks by North Korean hackers are believed to take place via China.