North Korean Man Indicted for Ransomware Attacks on U.S. Health Care Companies

A antheral allegedly moving for North Korean quality was indicted by U.S. prosecutors connected Thursday for conspiracy to hack computers astatine NASA and subject bases, on with superior ransomware attacks against U.S. wellness attraction providers, according to a caller study from the Associated Press and a announcement from the State Department.

Rim Jong Hyok was indicted by a expansive assemblage successful Kansas City, Kansas, and is allegedly associated with the hacking radical known arsenic Andariel. The radical is portion of North Korea’s subject quality bureau known arsenic the Reconnaissance General Bureau, according to the State Department.

“Rim and others conspired to hack into the machine systems of U.S. hospitals and different healthcare providers, instal Maui ransomware, and extort ransoms,” the State Department said successful an announcement that was posted online.

“The ransomware attacks encrypted victims’ computers and servers utilized for aesculapian investigating oregon physics aesculapian records and disrupted healthcare services. These malicious cyber actors past utilized the ransom payments to money malicious cyber operations targeting U.S. authorities entities and U.S. and overseas defence contractors, among others,” the bureau continued.

Hyok allegedly participated successful the hack of a Kansas City infirmary successful May 2021 which was deed with the Maui ransomware. Maui, which was first identified by the FBI aft the infirmary was hit, tin fastener up physics wellness records among a big of different physics files until a ransom is paid. The infirmary paid astir $100,00 successful Bitcoin, according to the AP.

And the laundering of the crypto is besides a origin successful the case. Hyok was besides indicted for conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering, though the FBI has reportedly been capable to prehend astir $600,000 successful stolen funds backmost from Hyok and his associates.

Aside from hospitals, the State Department describes 1 intrusion from November 2022, erstwhile the hackers allegedly got into an unnamed defence contractor, securing astir 30 GB of data. The information was reportedly unclassified method accusation astir “military craft and satellites,” and insists the accusation was “from 2010 oregon earlier.”

The U.S. authorities is offering a reward of up to $10 cardinal for accusation that leads to the recognition oregon determination of Hyok arsenic portion of the State Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program.