North Korea KIM Jong Un behind UK's NHS HACKING

Admin Fri 16 Jun 2017, 12:40 pm

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3811989/nhs-cyber-attack-north-korea-hackers/
KIM behind UK's NHS HACKING
KIM WAS BEHIND NHS HACK NHS cyber attack ‘was carried out by same North Korean cyber-hackers who targeted Sony in 2014’
Hackers demanding ransom hit more than 200,000 victims including a fifth of NHS trusts
By Amanda Devlin
16th June 2017, 7:30 am Updated: 16th June 2017, 10:25 am
NORTH Korea carried out the crippling NHS cyber attack last month, British security officials claim.
It’s thought hackers from a group named Lazarus launched the unprecedented global attack in May – two years after apparently targeting Sony Pictures, according to the BBC.
Hackers from North Korea are behind the attack which hit more than 200,000 people, security officials say
REUTERS
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Hackers from North Korea are behind the attack which hit more than 200,000 people, security officials say
Ransomware, which locks computers until a 0 (£230) payment is made, crippled 47 NHS trusts in England and 13 in Scotland
PA:PRESS ASSOCIATION
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Ransomware, which locks computers until a $300 (£230) payment is made, crippled 47 NHS trusts in England and 13 in Scotland
It hit more than 200,000 victims including a fifth of NHS trusts as hackers demanded a ransom payment.
Following an international investigation by Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre, officials claim it was carried out by North Korea.
Adrian Nish, who leads the cyber threat intelligence team at BAE, saw overlaps with previous code developed by the Lazarus group.
“The code-overlaps are significant.”
The indiscriminate attack struck banks, hospitals and government agencies in more than 150 countries, exploiting known vulnerabilities in old Microsoft computer operating systems.
The NHS is thought to be one of the first victims of the attack, which started in the UK and Spain before spreading around the world.
Security officials say the cyber attack was the work of North Korean hackers
PA:PRESS ASSOCIATION
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Security officials say the cyber attack was the work of North Korean hackers
Seven of the 47 NHS England trusts that were hit — a fifth of the service — are still seriously affected, while 13 trusts in Scotland also suffered.
Staff were forced to cancel or postpone operations and appointments as several hospitals and GPs surgeries were crippled by the hack.
The programme used in the global cyber attack is known as WannaCry ransomware or Wanna Decryptor.
At the time government security minister Ben Wallace said a virus delivered from a single email was the “most likely form of delivery” for the cyber attack.
It seems to tie back to the same code-base and the same authors.
Adrian NishLeads The Cyber Threat Intelligence Team At BAE
He believes one NHS staff member falling for a dodgy email may have sparked the crisis.
“These type of ransomwares are usually effectively disguised”, he said.
“They come in on what looks like a routine email from a friend or somebody else.”
He added that the ransomware, named WannaCry, is specifically designed to target some Windows operating systems.
“That meant that it spread incredibly quickly across any organisation that has a large network”, he said.
“Of course, the NHS has a very large network where the computers are on all the time, allowing it to get that momentum.”
Security Minister Ben Wallace said ransomware may have spread through NHS systems after being opened from a single email
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Security Minister Ben Wallace said ransomware may have spread through NHS systems after being opened from a single email
Ransomware attacks infect computers, blocking access to files and demanding a $300 (£230) payment to unlock them again.
Meanwhile it has emerged that over a THIRD of trusts have been victim of similar ransomware attacks in the past 18 months alone — but bosses did little to build up cyber defences.
Expert James Scott told The Sun: “They knew they were a target.”