With outmoded fighter jets, warships and tanks and underfed soldiers, North Korea could hardly be seen as a military power. But through its dogged pursuit of nuclear arms and long-range missiles it has built itself into a force to be reckoned with.

Beyond the traditional military domain, the communist state has also sought to become a formidable player in cyberspace with a sizable portion of its scarce defense resources dedicated to training “cyberwarriors” and boosting online combat capabilities.

“North Korea is pursuing cyberwarfare capabilities as a form of asymmetric warfare to marginalize specific U.S.-ROK (Republic of Korea) military strengths,” said Michael Raska, a security expert at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

“North Korea is adaptive. They constantly study how U.S.-ROK forces fight, and develop capabilities that leverage their strengths against South Korean weaknesses. Raising cyberwarfare capabilities will therefore be an increasingly important strategic priority for them.”