North Korea Man Charged in Ransomware Attacks on US Hospitals

July 25th, 2:36 PM EDT

By NEWSnet Digital Team

Ransomware.

MGN via Pixabay

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (NEWSnet/AP) — A man who officials say worked for one of North Korea’s military intelligence has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to hack U.S. health care providers.

A grand jury in Kansas indicted Rim Jong Hyok, who is accused of laundering ransom money and using the money to fund additional cyber attacks on defense, technology and government entities.

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U.S. Department of Justice Department said an attack on a Kanas hospital occurred in May 2021 when hackers encrypted the medical center’s files and servers. The hospital paid about $100,000 in Bitcoin to secure its data.

The department said it recovered that ransom as well as a payment from a Colorado health care provider affected by the same Maui ransomware variant.

The Justice Department has brought multiple criminal cases related to North Korea hacking in recent years, often alleging a profit-driven motive that differentiates the activity from that of hackers in China and Russia.

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