North Korean hackers tied to massive global theft

Source: Politico




By DAVID COHEN 10/03/2018 08:00 AM EDT

North Korean government hackers have made off with hundreds of millions of dollars by targeting financial institutions globally, then hiding their tracks with destructive cyberattacks, a cybersecurity firm said Wednesday.

The group dubbed APT38 by the company FireEye is also believed to have had a hand in the largest cyber heist in history, the 2016 Bangladesh Bank theft of $81 million. In total, the hackers have been connected with attempts to steal more than $1 billion in 11 countries.

Over the past several years, North Korea has continued to perfect its hacker armies that have carried out some of the most devastating digital attacks around the world. Last month, the Justice Department unsealed charges against Park Jin Hyok for his part in the 2014 Sony Pictures hack as well as for aiding in the Bangladesh theft and the damaging WannaCry malware outbreak.

And despite signs of a break in the historically tense relations between Washington and Pyongyang, the charges against Park represent the first time U.S. authorities have publicly pointed the finger at North Korea as the culprits behind some of the most infamous cyberattacks ever.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/03/north-korea-hackers-theft-millions-863151