US Justice Dept. seizes US$500K from North Korea-backed hackers
The U.S. Justice Department seized about US$500,000 from North Korea-backed hackers using ransomware, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced on Tuesday.
See related article: US Treasury says prioritize sanctioning North Korea for crypto hacking
Fast facts
Hackers demanded Bitcoin ransom from Kansas and Colorado medical providers that were attacked by a never-before-seen ransomware strain called Maui.
North Korea-backed hackers are believed to be responsible for malicious cyberattacks that stole hundreds of millions of dollars from crypto firms to allegedly fund the regime’s nuclear weapons program.
In May 2021, a Kansas medical center paid US$100,000 in Bitcoin ransom after losing server access for over a week, due to the socialist state hackers allegedly using the Maui ransomware.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the medical center identified the ransomware and traced the cryptocurrency transaction to a China-based North Korean money laundering scheme, the justice department said.
In April 2022, the FBI detected a US$120,000 Bitcoin payment from a Colorado medical provider into one of the crypto accounts identified in the Kansas case.
See related article: North Korea said to be responsible for Harmony Horizon hack