North Korea’s hacking attempts have reportedly become sophisticated and bold enough to spy on the United Nations and its panels dealing with the regime. 

Foreign Policy magazine on Thursday quoted Aaron Arnold, a former UN panel member investigating sanctions violations by North Korea, as saying the North’s Reconnaissance General Bureau has sought to snoop on U.N. sanctions experts, as well as the U.N. officials and diplomats who oversee their work.

Arnold told the outlet that some of their attempts are sophisticated and require vigilance as well as digital countermeasures from members of the UN panel that need updating on a weekly and monthly basis, with some experts taking security steps that may even be construed as neurotic. 

The report said said the UN Panel of Experts are receiving up to three or four hacking attempts every month, via email, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media platforms, disguised as messages from Chinese diplomats, journalists, colleagues, and others.

The magazine pointed to possible loopholes in UN’s readiness against such online terrorist attacks, noting a severe lack of basic firewalls and safety protocols.

[Photo : YONHAP News]