North Korean Hackers Break into Secret US Data for Nuclear Program
Morrissey Technology – The United States accused North Korean hackers of breaking into classified military data to support Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program. The US Department of Justice charged a suspect, Rim Jong Hyok, with conspiring to access computers in Uncle Sam’s country and laundering money.
Regarding the hack, officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Ministry of Justice stated that they had confiscated several online accounts belonging to the hackers. US authorities also seized $600,000 in virtual currency that will be returned to victims of the ransomware attack. Disclosure of hackers in the US collaborating with cyber security agencies from the UK and South Korea.
“The global cyber espionage operation we uncovered today shows the lengths to which DPRK [North Korean] state-sponsored actors are willing to go to carry out their military and nuclear programs,” said UK National Cyber Security Center member Paul Chichester.
The security agencies of the three countries said the hackers came from North Korea, nicknamed Anadriel or APT45. They are believed to be part of the North Korean intelligence agency which is part of the General Reconnaissance Bureau.
In a joint statement, the US, UK and South Korea said this cyber unit targeted or broke into computer systems at various defense or engineering companies. They also said North Korean hackers hacked manufacturers of tanks, submarines, naval vessels, fighter planes, and missile and radar systems, the statement said.
US casualties also include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, and Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia. In targeting NASA in February 2022, hackers used malware scripts to illegally gain access to computer systems for three months. More than 17 gigabytes of unclassified data were extracted.
North Korean hacker groups and hacking techniques pose an ongoing threat to various industrial sectors around the world. North Korea has a long history of using secret hacking teams to steal sensitive military information. To fund their operations, the hackers used ransomware targeting US hospitals and healthcare companies.
