Three young hackers, who were arrested by Korean police, were brought to justice on charges of hacking 225 websites and stealing the personal information of 17 million internet users.
The three arrested, 21-year-old Kim, Choi and 18-year-old Lee, testified that they provided the stolen information to pawn shops and other service companies, in exchange for 100 million won (€68,657)
Authorities said the websites targeted by the hackers were not adequately protected, allowing their databases to be breached and sensitive information to be intercepted.
In some cases, hackers posted specially crafted code on online forums. When administrators clicked on the malicious links, they unknowingly gave the hackers access to their systems.
Authorities are investigating the possible involvement of six more people in this case.
