North Korean hacking group Andariel hacked South Korean defense companies and stole over a terabyte(TB) of technical data.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said on Monday that it launched investigations after coming across evidence of such a hacking incident.

The police have so far found that Andariel hacked 14 South Korean companies, including defense firms, multiple times between last December and March of this year using domestic companies offering anonymous server rentals.

The group appears to have extracted one-point-two TBs of key technical information, including data on laser anti-aircraft weapons.

A joint probe with the FBI discovered that Andariel’s base of operations is located in the Ryugyong-dong neighborhood of Pyongyang, from where, the police said, the group accessed South Korean servers a total of 83 times.

The neighborhood is regarded to be a landmark spot in Pyongyang as it houses the Ryugyong Hotel, the tallest building in the reclusive state.

[Photo : KBS News]