About

IssueMakersLab, based in Seoul, is an expert group of malware analysts who worked or are working at cyber security industry both in South Korea and abroad. The group was established in 2008 and the members tracked the entire 7.7 DDoS attack and shared it with government agencies for the first time in 2009. After that, when the members first encountered the hacker group behind the March 20th cyber attack(Operation 1Missoin, aka Dark Seoul) to track down malware and hacking organizations that are staging cyber terrorist activities. IssueMakersLab is currently being managed by Taylor since January 2018.

The members of IssueMakersLab have spoken at major international hacking and security conferences such as BlackHat, DEFCON, CanSecWest, POC and ISEC. They have made it into the DEFCON CTF finals and are the winners of a variety of hacking contests.


2018
  • Aug
  • Research
    Operation Red Signature
  • July
  • Research
    Operation ShowmetheCoin
  • July
  • Research
    Malware disguised as company document related to inter-Korean economic cooperation
  • July
  • Research
    Operation GoldenAxe3 : The advanced attack of GoldenAxe
  • June
  • Research
    Continue to distribute malware related to cryptocurrency exchange
  • May
  • Research
    Operation GoldenAxe2 : ActiveX attacks targeting reunification, diplomacy and security stakeholders
2017
  • July
  • Asia-Pacific ISLA
    One member of the IssueMakersLab got the Asia-Pacific ISLA(Information Security Leadership Achievements) award that organized by (ISC)2.
  • May
  • Research
    Operation GoldenAxe
2016
  • Sept
  • Speaking at K-ISI 2016
    IssueMakersLab speaking at the K-ISI 2016 conference in Seoul, Korea.
    The title of our talk is "Ransomware and North Korea : What is North Korea's ability to develop Ransomware?"
  • June
  • R.O.K. Cyber Command
    One member of the IssueMakersLab got the Cybersecurity Award of Appreciation that organized by R.O.K. Cyber Command.
2015
  • July
  • Speaking at SECUINSIDE 2015
    IssueMakersLab speaking at the SECUINSIDE 2015 international security & hacking conference in Seoul, Korea.
    The title of our talk is "NK vs US"
2014
  • Dec
  • HDCON 2014
    We've got the Second place in the HDCON(Hacking Defense Contest) that organized by KISA, Korea
  • Nov
  • Whitehat Contest 2014
    We've got the Third place in the White Contest 2014 that organized by MMD and NIS, Korea
2013
  • Otc
  • DEFCON 2013
    We've got the 8th place in the DEFCON 21 CTF Finals, USA
  • Aug
  • HDCON 2013
    We've got the Third place in the HDCON(Hacking Defense Contest) that organized by KISA, Korea
  • April
  • Research "Operation 1Mission"
    South Korea identified who's behind the massive cyber attack on March 20th's
2012
  • July
  • HDCON 2012
    We've got the third place in the HDCON(Hacking Defense Contest) that organized by KISA, Korea
2011
  • Dec
  • Speaking at BlackHat abu dhabi 2011
    IssueMakersLab speaking at the BlackHat abu dhabi 2011 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
    The title of our talk is "Check your zombie devices!"
  • July
  • HDCON 2011
    We've got the Second place in the HDCON(Hacking Defense Contest) that organized by KISA, Korea
2010
  • Aug
  • Speaking at DEFCON 18
    One member of the IssueMakersLab with other real geek reverser speaking at the DEFCON 18 in Las Vegas, USA.
    The title of our talk is "Malware Migrating to Gaming Consoles: Embedded Devices, an AntiVirus-free Safe Hideout for Malware"
  • June
  • HDCON 2010
    We've got the first place in the HDCON(Hacking Defense Contest) that organized by KISA, Korea
2009
  • Nov
  • Speaking at POC 2009
    IssueMakersLab speaking at the POC 2009 international security & hacking conference in Seoul, Korea on November 5th-6th. 
    The title of our talk is "7.7 DDoS: Unknown Secrets and Botnet Counter-Attack"
  • Sep
  • Speaking at ISEC 2009
    IssueMakersLab speaking at the ISEC 2009 information security conference in COEX, Seoul, Korea on September 9th. 
    The title of our talk is "7.7 DDoS: I Know What You Did Last Summer"
  • July
  • Speaking at CodeEngn 2009
    The title of our talk is "File Infector Virus Analysis (from the point of view of an anti-virus developer)" 
  • May
  • HDCON 2009
    We've got the Second place in the HDCON(Hacking Defense Contest) that organized by KISA, Korea
2008
  • Aug
  • Foundation as a non-profit group of study