U.S. sanctions North Korean cyber attackers

The U.S. has sanctioned three North Korean state-backed groups the government says is behind cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
One of the groups, known as the Lazarus Group, is alleged to be behind the WannaCry 2.0 ransomware attack as well as a hack of Sony.
The U.S. Treasury Department also said the North Korean groups tried to steal from financial institutions and obtain private credit card information in order to fund Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.
Treasury said the North Korean hacking was further aimed at intelligence gathering, particularly from South Korea.
The U.S. government noted press reports that the three state-sponsored hacking groups likely stole around 571 million dollars in cryptocurrency since 2017.
The internet in North Korea is highly controlled and access is limited, largely depending on permission from the state.
President Donald Trump has not lifted any sanctions on North Korea, which are among the most stringent his administration imposes on a foreign adversary, but has attempted dialogue with Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons programme. (dpa/NAN)