LSN News › Singapore

Politics · Singapore Bureau

North Korea-linked hackers suspected in GMO cyberattack

Intelligence sources point to a notorious state-sponsored hacking group with ties to Pyongyang as the likely perpetrator of a significant cyberattack on Japanese internet services company GMO. The company has already escalated the incident to authorities.

LSN Singapore · 1 November 2026

North Korea-linked hackers suspected in GMO cyberattack

A cyberattack on GMO Internet Group appears to have been orchestrated by a hacking collective with links to North Korea, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The incident marks the latest in a series of sophisticated cyber operations attributed to state-sponsored actors targeting critical infrastructure and commercial entities across Asia.

GMO, one of Japan's largest internet service providers, has reported the breach to relevant government agencies as part of standard incident response protocols. The company's notification to authorities suggests the attack was deemed significant enough to warrant formal disclosure to Japanese cybersecurity officials.

The suspected North Korean-linked group is known for targeting financial institutions, cryptocurrency platforms, and technology companies across multiple countries. Previous operations attributed to the collective have resulted in substantial financial losses and disrupted services affecting millions of users.

Details regarding the scope of the GMO breach, including the volume of data potentially compromised and the duration of unauthorized access, remain unclear. Security experts anticipate that further information may emerge as the investigation progresses and government agencies complete their preliminary assessment.