The US Justice Department announced on Thursday the indictment of Rim Jong Hyok, an alleged North Korean government-backed hacker, for his involvement in a scheme to break into US hospital computer systems and extort them for ransom. Rim Jong Hyok is part of a group working for North Korea’s military intelligence agency, known as the Reconnaissance General Bureau.
These hackers allegedly used ransoms collected from health care providers to fund further operations against US government agencies and contractors. The indictment, unsealed in the US District Court for the District of Kansas, reveals that the hackers targeted hospitals in Florida and Kansas, health care firms in Arkansas and Connecticut, and a medical clinic in Colorado, causing significant disruptions in health care services.
In addition to the indictment, the US State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on Rim. The State Department, along with US, South Korean, and British security agencies, released details on the tactics used by North Korean hackers, who are also reportedly targeting classified and sensitive information in nuclear and aerospace sectors to advance Pyongyang’s military and nuclear programs.
One notable hack in 2022 against a US defense contractor led to the theft of sensitive data related to military aircraft and satellites. North Korean hackers have stolen billions from banks and cryptocurrency firms over recent years, significantly funding the regime’s activities. The Biden administration has prioritized countering these cyberattacks and related money laundering, as cyberattacks and cryptocurrency thefts have funded about half of North Korea’s missile program.
CNN had previously reported on the efforts by South Korean spies and American companies to intercept stolen cryptocurrency and highlighted instances of inadvertent funding of North Korean IT workers by international firms
