Voice of America
16 Sep 2019, 12:31 GMT+10
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Treasury on Friday announced sanctions on three North Korean hacking groups it said were involved in the WannaCry ransomware attacks and hacking of international banks and customer accounts.
It named the groups as Lazarus Group, Bluenoroff, and Andariel and said they were controlled by the RGB, North Korea's primary intelligence bureau, which is already subject to U.S. and United Nations sanctions.
The action blocks any U.S.-related assets of the groups and prohibits dealings with them. The Treasury statement said any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitated significant transactions or services for them could also be subject to sanctions.
"Treasury is taking action against North Korean hacking groups that have been perpetrating cyberattacks to support illicit weapon and missile programs," said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
"We will continue to enforce existing U.S. and U.N. sanctions against North Korea and work with the international community to improve cybersecurity of financial networks."
The United States has been attempting to restart talks with North Korea, aimed at pressing the country to give up its nuclear weapons. The talks have been stalled over North Korean
demands for concessions, including sanctions relief.
Earlier this month, North Korea denied U.N. allegations it had obtained $2 billion through cyberattacks on banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, and accused the United States of spreading rumors.
Lazarus Group
The Treasury statement said Lazarus Group was involved in the WannaCry ransomware attack that the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom publicly
attributed to North Korea in December 2017.
It said WannaCry affected at least 150 countries and shut down about 300,000 computers, including many in Britain's National Health Service (NHS). The NHS attack led to the cancellation of more than 19,000 appointments and ultimately cost the service over $112 million, the biggest known ransomware attack in history.
The Treasury said Lazarus Group was also directly responsible for 2014 cyberattacks on Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Bluenoroff
The statement cited industry and press reporting as saying that by 2018, Bluenoroff had attempted to steal over $1.1 billion from financial institutions and successfully carried out operations against banks in Bangladesh, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Chile, and Vietnam.
It said Bluenoroff worked with the Lazarus Group to steal approximately $80 million from the Central Bank of Bangladesh's New York Federal Reserve account.
Andariel
Andariel, meanwhile, was observed by cybersecurity firms attempting to steal bank card information by hacking into ATMs to withdraw cash or steal customer information to later sell on the black market, the statement said.
Andariel was also responsible for developing and creating unique malware to hack into online poker and gambling sites and, according to industry and press reporting, targeted the South Korea government military in an effort to gather intelligence, it said.
Source: VOA
Get a daily dose of Houston Mirror news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Houston Mirror.
More InformationTOKYO, Japan: Toyota's overseas sales surged to a new March record, driven largely by a rush of North American buyers ahead of newly...
NEW YORK, New York - Uncertainty about trade negotiations between the United States and China kept investors and traders on edge Monday...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Sales of new single-family homes in the U.S. rose more than expected in March as buyers rushed to take advantage...
SHANGHAI, China: BMW is set to incorporate artificial intelligence from Chinese startup DeepSeek into its upcoming vehicle models in...
Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific Airways is preparing for a slowdown in air cargo traffic between China and the United States as new trade...
SHANGHAI, China: Nissan is making a fresh push to regain its footing in China with a US$1.4 billion investment and a pledge to speed...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration announced this week that it will create a fast-track approval process for energy and mining...
JERUSALEM - More than 80 ambassadors and heads of mission from across the world were addressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. lawmakers are turning up the heat on China's biggest telecom firms, issuing subpoenas to compel their cooperation...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: European pharmaceutical companies are pushing for higher drug prices across the EU, warning that current pricing...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A nuclear power plant in Michigan is hoping to become the first in the U.S. to restart after being permanently shut...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is taking steps to stop collisions between helicopters...