The United States Department of Justice has charged 3 North Korean for allegedly launching cyber attacks on many of the banking and cryptocurrency networks operating across the world. All the three have admitted the crime of committing computer fraud by indulging in wire transfers and bank transactions by fraudulent means in countries like Vietnam, Philippines, Poland, Pakistan, Malta, Mexico, and United States along with Canada and Australia.
Jon Chang Jyok, Kim II and Park Jin Hyok, who are suspected to be linked to North Korean intelligence agencies named as Reconnaissance General Bureau will face the charges for conducting destructive digital attacks.
“These guys have been using keyboards instead of guns and ammunition conducting cyber attacks such as stealing currency & cryptocurrency from digital wallets,” said John Demers, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security.
The Department of Justice has found in the prosecution that the three alleged men were involved in stealing over $1.3 billion in cash and digital currency from entities operating across the world. And the attacks were mostly launched through spear phishing emails that were laced with malware that allowed them tap into the computer systems and networks of the targeted victims.
Demers highlighted the fact that the list of the persons involved in the crime might be more than it will be revealed as more victims file complaints against alleged cyber heist and digital extortion schemes.
Note- All the three cyber criminals were found to be involved in the cyber attacks launched on Sony Pictures Entertainment, the $86m wire fraud committed at the Bank of Bangladesh and the Wannacry 2.0 attack aka Not Petya ransomware attack.
