Cyber attack on S Korea traced to China

Investigators have traced a co-ordinated cyber attack that paralysed tens of thousands of computers at six South Korean banks and media companies to a Chinese internet protocol address, but it is still unclear who orchestrated the attack, authorities in Seoul said.

The discovery did not erase suspicions that North Korea was to blame. An IP address can provide an important clue as to the location of an internet-connected computer but can easily be manipulated by hackers operating anywhere in the world. The investigation into Wednesday’s attack could take weeks.

Only one of the six targets, Shinhan Bank, was back online and operating regularly. It could be next week before the other companies have fully recovered.