North Korean cyberattacks a more immediate threat than its missiles, experts say
- While the world’s focus has been on the North’s nuclear ambitions, it has been steadily building up its cyber capabilities
- Some cases it’s been linked to include a US$81m heist at Bangladesh’s central bank and the WannaCry ransomware attack that affected 150 nations in 2017
But while the world’s diplomatic focus has been on its nuclear ambitions, the North has been quietly and steadily building up its cyber capabilities, and analysts say its army of thousands of well-trained hackers are proving to be just as dangerous.
“North Korea’s nuclear and military programmes are long-term threats, but its cyber threats are immediate, realistic threats,” said Oh Il-seok, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul.
Pyongyang’s cyberwarfare abilities first came to global prominence in 2014 when it was accused of hacking into Sony Pictures Entertainment as revenge for The Interview, a satirical film that mocked leader Kim.
The attack resulted in the posting of several unreleased films online as well as a vast trove of confidential documents.
Since then, the North has been blamed for a number of high-profile cyberattacks, including a US$81 million heist from the Bangladesh Central Bank as well as the 2017 WannaCry global ransomware attack, which infected some 300,000 computers in 150 nations.