VOA慢速英语2015 S. Korea Raises Security after Cyberattack on Nuclear Plants

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-28 S. Korea Raises Security after Cyberattack on Nuclear Plants

South Korea has increased security at its nuclear power centers. South Korea took action after computer hackers² entered the power centers’ computer networks and released sensitive documents on the Internet.

South Korean officials are trying to show the public that the country’s 23 nuclear reactors³ remain secure. They want to show that recent attacks on the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Corporation cannot affect the computer systems. 

The hackers used e-mail addresses of retired⁴ employees to put 300 kinds of bad software called “malware” in the company’s computer network. They have already released drawings of the plants’ systems as well as information about tests of the centers. They also have released information about how much the centers’ workers are paid. They are threatening to damage three nuclear plants unless the government closes them.

The unidentified hackers said they oppose nuclear power. Simon Choi is a top official of a company that helps protect against computer attacks. He says this attack does not appear to have come from an anti-nuclear group.

Mr. Choi says what these attackers are doing is very similar to what North Korean hackers did in earlier attacks. He says they are using Twitter or another site, called Pastebin, to publish secret documents. He says accused North Korean hackers did the same thing last year when they attacked computers in the office of the South Korean president and in the Sony attack.

American officials have accused North Korea of illegally entering the computer system of Sony Pictures Entertainment in the United States. The hackers were trying to stop the release of a comedy movie about the imaginary killing⁵ of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. South Korean officials have also said North Korea is responsible for recent attacks on the computers of South Korean government agencies, television broadcasters and media websites.

Officials have increased security around the targeted reactors. Heavily armed troops surround the areas. The defense⁶ ministry⁷’s cyber warfare⁸ unit also is working to stop any further attacks. Mr. Choi says the systems that control the nuclear reactors are separated from other computer networks, so it is not possible for hackers to enter the control systems.

He says the network can only send information, not receive it, so it is difficult for hackers to enter.

The hackers say they are in the American state of Hawaii. However, investigators⁹ say the suspects used Internet addresses based in China, in an area where officials believe North Korean hackers work.

A South Korean justice ministry official says the South cannot confirm that North Korean hackers are to blame for the attack. However, they believe it is possible.

About one-third of electricity used in South Korea comes from nuclear reactors. It is the fifth-largest user of nuclear power in the world.

Words from This Story

hacker¹ – n. a person who secretly gets access to a computer system in order to get information and/or cause damage; a person who hacks¹⁰ into a computer system

retired – adj. not working anymore; having ended a working or professional career

malware – n. software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems

1 hacker   

n.能盗用或偷改电脑中信息的人，电脑黑客

参考例句：

• The computer hacker wrote that he was from Russia.这个计算机黑客自称他来自俄罗斯。
• This site was attacked by a hacker last week.上周这个网站被黑客攻击了。

2 hackers   

n.计算机迷( hacker的名词复数 )；私自存取或篡改电脑资料者，电脑“黑客”

参考例句：

• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks againoff-again email exchanges. 通过几星期电子邮件往来安排见面，他们最终同意了。 来自互联网

3 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

9 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 hacks   

黑客

参考例句：

• But there are hacks who take advantage of people like Teddy. 但有些无赖会占类似泰迪的人的便宜。 来自电影对白
• I want those two hacks back here, right now. 我要那两个雇工回到这儿，现在就回。 来自互联网