Eight internet homepage hackers held

The anti-cyber terrorism center of the National Police Agency Wednesday arrested a computer programmer and booked eight others without physical detention on charges of hacking.

The arrested computer programmer, identified only as Kim, 25, allegedly hacked the homepage of an Internet firm supplying tourism information. Kim is suspected of invading the company`s server early this month and deleting homepage and log files, thus suspending the firm`s Web services, the police said.

A police officer said that there is rampant hacking of homepages, which are crucial to the business operations of internet venture firms. The police will crack down on hacking as it has the potential to develop into cyber terrorism, irrespective of the motives behind the crime, he added.