The United States Department of Justice accused three computer programmers working for the North Korean military to be responsible for a series of cyber attacks on banks and companies in several countries, including the United States.
According to the Justice Department, the three programmers – Jon Chang-hyok, 31, Kim Il, 27, and Park Jin-hyok, 36 – are said to be members of the North Korean intelligence service that deals with hacking. The three programmers, whom the Justice Department defines as “hackers”, allegedly stole data and embezzled funds worth over $ 1.3 billion (about 1.1 billion euros) for the North Korean government and its leader, Kim Jong-un. The criminal charges are unlikely to materialize in a trial, because the three hackers are located in North Korea.
One of the first attacks identified dates back to 2014 against the Sony Pictures company, and seems to be a retaliation for the production of the comic film. The Interview, in which Kim Jong-un was criticized and made fun of. Other attacks targeted financial institutions in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mexico and several African countries, the UK health service, cryptocurrency companies in Slovenia and Indonesia, and the US State and Defense Departments.
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