Seoul ( CNN ) -- Picture the scene : dozens of computer hackers poring over their keyboards in a room filled with powerful computers , feverishly typing in code most of us could never comprehend . Their mission ? To `` break in '' to virtual servers in a simulated world . Yet these particular hackers are not breaking the law , they are actually reinforcing it . They are taking part in a six-month program organized by the South Korean government to train some of the brightest code-breaking minds to become the nation 's first line of defense in the war against cyber crime . According to the Korea Information Technology Research Institute ( KITRI ) , the `` Best of the Best '' program is designed to train computer experts to defend against domestic and foreign cyber attacks . South Korea , which is one of the most Internet-connected nations in the world , is frequently subject to cyber attacks , especially from its northern neighbor , with whom it is still technically at war . In 2009 , a number of government websites , including the presidential Blue House and National Assembly , crashed for days after being targeted with malicious code . And in 2011 , a bank 's entire computer system was hacked and shut down . The attack left tens of thousands of computers infected and some permanently damaged , according to the country 's prosecutors . The Seoul government pointed the finger at Pyongyang , citing similarities in code used in earlier cyber attacks by South Korean nationals in collaboration with hackers believed to be connected with a North Korean intelligence agency , South Korea 's prosecutor 's office said in a press release . The North Korean government has yet to comment on the claims . The official value of the loss from the attacks is unknown , but the Hyundai Research Institute estimates the financial loss from the 2009 attacks alone at between $ 33.7 million and $ 50.5 million . Attacks from domestic and foreign sources are on the increase , authorities say . Cyber attacks rose by 37 % from 2008 to 2011 , according to Korea Internet Security Agency . `` Cyber attacks in general are getting more and more complicated . It is also known that North Korea is training highly skilled hackers , '' Jung Soo-whan from South Korea 's Soongsil University told CNN . `` But what if they , for instance , hack into our nuclear power systems ? We need a stronger defense system . '' According to Lee Seung-jin , the chief consultant for the `` Best of the Best '' program , a cyber attack from the North is like fighting an asymmetric war . It is very difficult to counter attack . `` The South Korean Internet industry developed very fast . It is essential to train cyber security experts in all fields including those who will be working for commercial companies , '' said Lee , a prominent name in the South Korean hackers community . Sixty computer experts , from high school students to college students , were selected for the program . Most participants were already well known in the country and some are award-winning hackers from local and foreign hacker competitions . Kwon Hyuk , 17 , is one of the survivors of the first phase of candidates on the program . He focuses his work on printer networking systems , an area easily exposed by cyber attacks . `` Companies may print confidential documents using network printers . If the security was breached , companies potentially could be eavesdropped , '' he said . The program , which is now down to 20 hackers , will only graduate one expert from six fields in its final stage . Aside from receiving 20,000,000 KRW ( $ 18,500 ) as a prize , each graduate will then be recommended to companies or government agencies they wish to work for in the future . The six fields include digital forensic , security consulting , vulnerability analysis , mobile phone security , converged security and cloud-computing security .
South Korean government is training some of the brightest code-breaking minds . `` Best of the Best '' program designed to train computer experts to defend against cyber attacks . The U.S. has also been working with China on a similar effort, and it's possible that both countries will be able to develop their own programs in this area as well.