Treasury Department Implements Sanctions on North Korean Cyber Groups

Treasury Department Implements Sanctions on North Korean Cyber Groups

The department announced the sanctions Friday after it said that North Korean intelligence groups targeted American critical infrastructure, particularly the financial system.

On Friday, the Treasury Department announced it will implement sanctions targeting three North Korean cyber intelligence groups for targeting U.S. critical infrastructure.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which is housed within the department, said that the Lazarus Group and two of its subsidiaries, Bluenoroff and Andariel, are responsible for “
“North Korea’s malicious cyber activity” on American agencies. The groups fall underneath the RGB, North Korea’s primary intelligence bureau, the OFAC said in a statement.

“Treasury is taking action against North Korean hacking groups that have been perpetrating cyber attacks to support illicit weapon and missile programs,” Sigal Mandelker, the under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement. “We will continue to enforce existing U.S. and UN sanctions against North Korea and work with the international community to improve cybersecurity of financial networks.”

In an explanation of the sanctions, the department said that the Lazarus Group was created as early as 2008 to target institutions like the military and the financial, manufacturing, publishing, media and international shipping industries. The U.S. and other countries that were targeted as part of the WannaCry 2.0 ransomware attack in 2017 have long believed that the hacking group carried out the attack.

Now, American citizens and residents are banned from doing business with the cyber groups. Lazarus and its subsidiaries are also blocked from accessing any property within the U.S., according to The Hill.

Altogether, OFAC estimates that the three groups likely stole $571 million in cryptocurrency between January 2017 and September 2018 as part of a government campaign to hack into cryptocurrency exchanges and use the funds for weapons programs. Blueneroff has allegedly attempted to steal about $1.1 billion from banks around the world, including countries like Mexico, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Pakistan.

The agency said that the sanctions are part of its larger plan to combat North Korean cyber threats. OFAC has been working with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command to better “protect the U.S. financial system and other critical infrastructure” and improve global security, the agency said.

OFAC’s action and another effort to disclose malware samples to private cybersecurity companies are examples of a “government-wide approach to defending and protecting against an increasing North Korean cyber threat,” the statement reads.

Rep. Jim Langevin, who chairs the House Armed Services subcommittee on intelligence and emerging threats and capabilities, applauded the sanctions and said the U.S. must “take action to hold irresponsible states accountable.”

“Malicious cyber actors around the world need to know that they cannot act with impunity and that the United States will use all instruments of national power to counter their activity,” he said in a statement.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Progressing in Capabilities

    Progressing in Capabilities

    Hazardous areas within industries like oil and gas, manufacturing, agriculture and the like, have long-sought reliable video surveillance cameras and equipment that can operate safely in these harsh and unpredictable environments. Read Now

  • A Comprehensive Nationwide Solution

    A Comprehensive Nationwide Solution

    Across the United States, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, truck yards, parking lots and car dealerships all have a common concern. They are targets for catalytic converters. In nearly every region, cases of catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed. Read Now

  • Planning for Your Perimeter

    Planning for Your Perimeter

    The perimeter is an organization’s first line of defense and a critical element of any security and surveillance program. Even if a building’s interior or exterior security is strong, without a solid perimeter surveillance approach any company or business is vulnerable. Read Now

  • The Key Issue

    The Key Issue

    It is February 2014. A woman is getting ready in her room on a cruise ship when she hears a knock on the door; it is a crewmember delivering breakfast. She is not presentable so she tells him to leave it by the door. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • CyberAudit Introduced to Manage Systems, Intuitive Interface

    CyberAudit Web

    CyberLock, Inc. announces the release of CyberAudit Web 9.4! CyberAudit-Web (CAW), the software suite for managing CyberLock systems, provides an intuitive interface to assign keys, set expirations, monitor staff and configure access schedules. 3

  • Genetec Security Center

    Genetec Security Center

    This major new release allows more system components to run in the cloud, reducing the gap between cloud and on-premises security systems. It also makes it easier to connect external systems and tap external data for use in dashboards, maps and investigations without relying on complex, specialized integrations. 3

  • Camden Door Controls CV-603 2 Door Bluetooth Access Control System

    Camden Door Controls CV-603 2 Door Bluetooth Access Control System

    his app-based system is designed to provide ‘best in class’ security of doors and gates, with up to 2,000 users. The intuitive programming app is Apple® and Android® compatible, with easy to use system set-up, user administration, downloadable audit trail and data back-up. 3