U.S. federal prosecutors have indicted Rim Jong Hyok, a North Korean military intelligence operator, for hacking into American healthcare providers, NASA, U.S. military sites, and foreign corporations. The alleged hacker planned to steal sensitive information and install ransomware to extort money.
A grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, indicted Hyok on charges that he laundered funds via a Chinese bank before purchasing server hardware and funding more assaults on defense, tech, and government organizations globally.
The indictment states that Hyok and other personnel of North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau’s Andariel Unit had access to NASA’s computer system for over three months, extracting over 17 gigabytes of unclassified material. The hackers allegedly gained access to the computer systems of military firms in California and Michigan, as well as the Texas Randolph Air Force facility and the Georgia Robins Air Force base.
The software allowed the state sponsored Andariel gang to transmit stolen data to North Korean military intelligence, advancing Pyongyang’s nuclear and military ambitions. Information on fighter planes, missile defense systems, satellite phones, and radar was sought.
The impact of these wanton acts has a direct effect on the citizens of Kansas, even if North Korea employs cybercrimes to evade international sanctions and finance its political and military objectives. Court documents show that Hyok has resided in North Korea and worked at the offices of the military intelligence agency in both Pyongyang and Sinuiju.
He and other foreign government operatives who attack vital U.S. infrastructure have bounties of up to $10 million for information that may lead to their capture.
The United States Department of Justice has brought many charges involving North Korean hacking, typically claiming that the nation’s cybercriminals are motivated only by financial gain. In 2021, the government brought charges against three computer programmers from North Korea for various cyberattacks, including a devastating assault on an American film company and the attempted theft and extortion of almost $1.3 billion from financial institutions and businesses worldwide.
