The Foreign Office today named the shadowy North Korean cyber gang Lazarus as the criminals which launched a devastating ransomware attack on the NHS.
More than a third of hospital trusts had their systems crippled while nearly 7,000 NHS appointments were cancelled in the WannaCry ransomware attack in May.
Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad confirmed the attack was carried out by the notorious North Korean cyber espionage group Lazarus.
The gang have carried out a series of devastating strikes against media and government institutions – and have stolen tens of millions of pounds in a heist on a central bank.
More than a third of hospital trusts had their systems crippled while nearly 7,000 NHS appointments were cancelled in the WannaCry ransomware attack in May (stock photo)
Sony Pictures fell victim to the gang in 2014 when their systems were hacked ahead of the release of The Interview – a satire on a plot to kill Kim Jong-Un.
The notorious group has strong links with the tyrannical regime in Pyongyang and its attacks are designed to sow chaos and discord among the country’s enemies.
WHO ARE LAZARUS?
Lazarus are an infamous North Korean hacking gang who have carried out a series of strikes around the world.
They first made headlines when they carried out a primitive cyber attack on South Korean government in 2009.
And since the their attacks have become more sophisticated and spanned many other countries.
In 2014 they launched an attack on Sony Pictures in ahead of the release of The Interview – a satire on a plot to kill Kim Jong-Un.
And in 2016 they stole $81million (£63m) from the Bangladesh central bank in what is believed to be the biggest ever cyber heist.
Their attacks are designed to cause chaos among North Korea’s enemies and to extort cash.
Lord Ahmad said: ‘The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre assesses it is highly likely that North Korean actors known as the Lazarus Group were behind the WannaCry ransomware campaign – one of the most significant to hit the UK in terms of scale and disruption.
‘We condemn these actions and commit ourselves to working with all responsible states to combat destructive criminal use of cyber space.
‘The indiscriminate use of the WannaCry ransomware demonstrates North Korean actors using their cyber programme to circumvent sanctions.’
Computer systems in 150 countries were caught up in the attack, which saw screens freeze with a warning they would not be unlocked unless a ransom was paid.
Investigators concluded that the cyber attack could have been prevented if ‘basic IT security’ measures had been taken.
Lazarus are believed to be behind a series of cyber attacks against countries designed to cause chaos or extort money out of North Korea’s enemies.
The hacking group first hit the headlines in 2014 when they crippled the computer networks at Sony Pictures in a bid to block the release of The Interview – a satire about a plot to kill North Korean despot Kim Jong-Un.
Foreign Office minister Lord Ahmad (pictured left) confirmed the attack was carried out by the notorious North Korean cyber espionage group Lazarus. the cyber gang have strong links with the regime of Kim Jong-Un (pictured right) and have targeted enemies of Pyongyang
The film was pulled from cinemas after the hack amid security fears, but was released online.
And the gang is also thought to be behind a 2009 attack on South Korean government and websites.
Cyber security experts also believe the gang were behind an $81million (£63m) cyber heist against the Bangladesh central bank.
This is widely believed to be one of the biggest bank heists ever to have bene carried out.
The common thread running through all the attacks is that they are designed to attack North Korea’s enemies and further Pyongyang’s interests.
Source
http://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5195243/North-Korean-gang-Lazarus-NHS-cyber-attack.html