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U.S Authorities Accuses North Korean Programmer over WannaCry Attack and Sony Hack

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The U.S. Department of Justice has charged a North Korean programmer for some of the major cyber attacks in recent years

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged a North Korean programmer for some of the major cyber attacks in recent years which includes:

  • The WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017
  • Sony picture entertainment attack in 2014
  • Bangladesh Central Bank cyber-heist in 2016
  • Hacking attempt in US defense contractor Lockheed Martin in 2016
On September 6, the US Department of Justice announces 179 DOJ indictment against a 34 year old North Korean named Park Jin Hyok appears to be working for North Korean military intelligence agency Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). According to The New York Times, “ the Justice Department charged on Thursday in a 174-page criminal complaint that detailed how hackers caused hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of damage to the global economy.” According to DOJ Park Jin Hyok also know as Pak Jin Hek was also an active member in APT group Lazarus. Sony Pictures Entertainment hack in 2014 was done in the retaliation for producing the comedy film named “The Interview” which is about two journalist who were assigned by CIA to assassinate the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Cyber Security News Headlines At the time the US government traced the source of the attack to North Korea and did not disclose more details. Cyber Security News Headlines The sony pictures hack wiped off most of the company computers and exposed over 200 GB of confidential data which includes upcoming movie script, celebrity movie numbers, and other sensitive data. Cyber Security News Headlines The WannaCry attack caused widespread damage across the globally infecting hospital, government organizations and other organization across 150 countries. The APT group Lazarus was also suspected behind the Bangladesh Central Bank cyber-heist in 2016. According to investigators Mr. Park worked in China from 2011 to 2013 and came back to North Korea shortly before the sony pictures attack in 2014. “The North Korean government, through a state-sponsored group, robbed a central bank and citizens of other nations, retaliated against free speech in order to chill it half a world away, and created disruptive malware that indiscriminately affected victims in more than 150 other countries, causing hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars’ worth of damage,” said in a statement John C. Demers, the head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.