More than a few international experts have been arguing that war with North Korea is inevitable and is really only a matter of time and whether they will be the first to strike.
And now that question may have an answer, albeit one that was completely unexpected.
Network security experts Symantec and Kaspersky argue that evidence points to the North Korean-linked hackers called Lazarus Group as the culprits for the ransomware cyberattack last week which is still wreaking havoc on major networks across the globe.
Lazarus has been credited with global cyber-warfare for nearly a decade including stealing hundreds of millions in cash in the process, funds which may have aided Kim Jong-Un in his quest for nuclear weapons.
It’s getting real now.
Here’s more from the Daily Mail…
A hacking group linked to North Korea is thought to be behind the cyber attack that wreaked havoc across the globe, according to security experts.
Analysts from security firms Symantec and Kaspersky revealed that they are looking into technical clues suggesting the Lazarus Group created the virus.
The ransomware – which encrypts victims’ files then demands a fee to unlock them – left Britain’s health service crippled as computer systems and phone lines across the country shut down on Friday.
The NHS is still struggling to get back on its feet following the attack, which means patients could have to wait a month or more to see a doctor after countless operations and appointments were cancelled.
Symantec and Kaspersky said code in an earlier version of the WannaCry ransomware had also appeared in other malicious software created by those hackers.
The Lazarus Group has already been blamed for a string of hacks dating back to at least 2009, including last year’s $81 million heist from Bangladesh’s central bank.
The group was also thought to have been behind the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment that crippled its network for weeks and a long-running campaign against organizations in South Korea.
Researchers from Kaspersky said: ‘We believe this might hold the key to solve some of the mysteries around this attack.
