Skip to main content

North Korea may have stolen U.S. fighter jet blueprints in a recent cyberattack

A hand on a laptop in a dark surrounding.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The most concerning heists of the 21st century don’t involve big banks or casinos, cracking open a safe, or fast getaway cars (sorry Ocean’s fans). Rather, thieves in our digital day and age are relying upon cyberattacks to steal valuable information, and in one of the most recent plots, North Korean hackers are said to have stolen “tens of thousands of documents related to the defense industry — including U.S. fighter jet designs.”

The theft was the result of an attack on South Korean companies and government agencies that ultimately compromised 140,000 computers, Reuters reports. A total of 40,000 defense-related materials were stolen, including the blueprints for wings of F-15 fighter jets. These blueprints appear to have been obtained from Korean Air Lines, which serves as a contract manufacturer for the military of South Korea.

“North Korea turns out to have been preparing for a long time to try to launch a countrywide cyberattack,” South Korea’s Korean National Police Agency said.

But the rival country claims no wrongdoing, denying any involvement in a cyberattack or hacking attempt. This isn’t the first time the isolationist nation has faced accusations of cyber espionage from foreign countries. In 2014, the U.S. accused North Korea of attacking Sony as retribution for the controversial film The Interview. Again, North Korea said it was not involved in any such attack.

While the hackers appear to have infiltrated South Korean systems quite some time ago (it is likely that the attacks began in 2014), country officials say that little sensitive information was compromised. “The leak will likely have a negligible impact on national security,” a South Korean official noted in a statement. But still, as tensions continue to mount between North Korea and the rest of the world, the nation’s cyber activity is increasingly becoming a topic of interest for the U.S. and its allies.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Best color laser printers for 2024: tested and reviewed
A Brother printer on a counter in front of a brick wall.

The best color laser printers can be a great investment, saving you quite a bit of time and money. For shoppers worried about the long-term ink costs, you'll find color laser printers surprisingly affordable. Laser printers use toner, which lasts a very long time, delivering a low cost per page for monochrome documents and fast color prints. The best color laser printers offer quick performance and reliability to help keep your home office or small business productive.

If you need to scan documents for record-keeping and photo capture or want the convenience of a color copier, an all-in-one color laser printer is an essential tool for your small business or personal use. For a small added cost, you get expanded capabilities. That's why every model on this list is an all-in-one from the best printer brands.

Read more
The 5 best Wi-Fi adapters for PC in 2024
The Ugreen AC1300 Wi-Fi adapter in a desktop PC.

Whether you're designing it yourself or getting a pre-built PC, it can be easy to get a computer and realize that it doesn't have a native Wi-Fi adapter. Or, maybe it does, but you're internet speeds are getting faster, game downloads are getting bigger, you've already upgraded your router and need an adapter to match your newfound power requirements. No matter the situation, an external Wi-Fi adapter that you can add to your PC setup or even laptop setup will be worth your time. Here, we investigate the best Wi-Fi adapters for PC use. Most are incredibly affordable and just snap into a free USB port and start working.
The best Wi-Fi adapter for PC in 2024

Buy the

Read more
How to pin a website to the taskbar in Windows
A man sits, using a laptop running the Windows 11 operating system.

Windows includes many interesting tools, but if you’re like many people, more and more of your digital life is happening in your web browser and nowhere else. That being the case, you’ll want to keep your most important websites close at hand. The easiest way to access them in Windows is the Start menu and the taskbar, treating them more or less like programs in and of themselves.

Although easy overall, getting a website from your browser to your taskbar is slightly different depending on which browser you’re using.

Read more