Ramping Up Efforts Against North Korean Cyberattacks: US Sanctions University for Training North Korean Hackers.

US Imposes Sanctions on North Korean University Over Cyber Warfare Activities

The US Department of Treasury announced on Tuesday that it had put sanctions on four entities and one individual for committing malicious cyber activities on behalf of the North Korean Government. The individuals in question were being trained by Pyongyang University of Automation to become cyber attackers, with many being hired by the Reconnaissance General Bureau’s (RGB) intelligence unit. Two government agencies, Technical Reconnaissance Bureau and 110th Research Center, both controlled by the RGB, were blamed by the US government for several attacks and theft of sensitive government data.

How Does North Korea Benefit from Cyber Warfare?

According to the US government, the North Korean Government uses cyber warfare to generate revenue and support its regime priorities. One of the primary ways North Korean hackers achieve this is through cryptocurrency theft. Last year, the US government blamed the notorious Lazarus group for a $620 million crypto heist which they believe helped with funding for the North Korean government’s various weapons and ballistic missile programs. Individuals associated with the nation have also been known to obtain jobs fraudulently in the cryptocurrency and technology sectors to support the country’s cyber programs.

The Sanctioned Entities and Individuals

The US named entities associated with North Korea’s hacking efforts, such as Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company (Chinyong) and a North Korean national, Kim Sang Man, both involved in fraudulently obtaining employment for IT workers across the world. The US government wrote: “all property and interests in property of the persons named above that are in the United States, or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.” The US government has warned organizations and individuals of the associated risks of conducting business with such entities.

Philosophical Implications

The use of cyber attacks by governments against other governments and individuals is strongly frowned upon. Critics argue that due to the anonymity provided by the internet, cyber warfare acts as an incentive for nations to engage in acts that would be considered illegal or illegitimate in physical attacks. Furthermore, the information age which we live in means countries that were previously behind in technology can now become part of the cyberattack nation, and it challenges traditional notions of power, demarcation of national boundaries, and coordination in cyber warfare activities internationally.

Advice for Organizations

Organizations need to put policies in place to guarantee cybersecurity measures are being implemented. For instance, social engineering techniques, often employed to gain insider access to sensitive data, have to be identified and handled. Email scamming and spear-phishing are two examples of how attackers compromise information, without the organizations even being aware of the breach, until the damage is done. Security personnel must also remain up-to-date with the latest threats, and respond swiftly to mitigate them. Companies should have regular employee training to help employees develop awareness and best practices in cybersecurity.

Editorial

This move by the USA towards punishing North Korea for its malicious cyber activities is an essential step in creating awareness of cyberwarfare threats. Cyber-attacks have truly become a global problem, which needs cooperation and collaboration between not only government agencies but also corporations and individuals to combat it. The international community needs to take action against states and organizations that continue to pose threats to cybersecurity. Cybersecurity should be a UN agenda item to put cybercrime in the same vein as drug trafficking and terrorism, which clearly harms individuals and economies. The world’s greatest threat calls for the world’s greatest collaboration, whether it is to protect sensitive data or to secure a trusted and reliable digital environment.