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 by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) Sept 16, 2020
North Korean hackers are probably working with Russian-speaking cybercriminals on ransomware and other malicious software, researchers said Wednesday. Security firm Intel 471 said in a report it found links between North Korean hacker group Lazarus, known for attacks on banks worldwide, and a Russian-operated malware operation called TrickBot. TrickBot is described in the report as a "malware-as-a-service offering, run by Russian-speaking cybercriminals, that is not openly advertised on any open or invite-only cybercriminal forum or marketplace." It works with "top-tier cybercriminals with a proven reputation," the report said. The Intel 471 report said other security researchers have pointed to possible links between the groups, but that its investigation found more evidence, including signs that malware developed in North Korea was offered for sale on Russian marketplaces. "Our conclusion is that we deem it likely that threat actors running or having access to TrickBot infections are in contact with DPRK (North Korean) threat actors," the report said. "DPRK threat actors likely are active in the cybercriminal underground and maintain trusted relationships with top-tier Russian-speaking cybercriminals." It added that "malware believed to be only used and probably written by DPRK threat actors was very likely delivered via network accesses held by Russian-speaking cybercriminals."
US announces charges against Chinese, Malaysian hackers Three of the Chinese suspects operated out of Chengdu 404, a Sichuan-based company that purported to offer network security services for other businesses. They hacked the computers of hundreds of companies and organizers around the world to collect identities, hijack systems for ransom, and remotely use thousands of computers to mine for cryptocurrency like bitcoin. Two other Chinese nationals who formerly worked for Chengdu 404, and the two Malaysians, were indicted for hacking into major gaming companies to steal their secrets and "gaming artifacts," likely tradable in-game chits and credits, and resell them. Together the seven were long recognized by cybersecurity experts as the "APT41" hacking organization, identified by their shared tools and techniques. While some had thought that the group could be run by the Chinese government, the indictments did not identify a strong official connection. But according to court filings, Jiang Lizhi, one of the Chengdu 404 hackers, boasted to a colleague in 2012 that he was protected by China's Ministry of State Security, and indicated they were protected if they did not hack domestically. "Some of these criminal actors believed their association with the PRC provided them free license to hack and steal across the globe," federal prosecutor Michael Sherwin said in a statement. The charges did not indicate any direct political motivations behind the hackers' activities, though they did gain access to government computer systems in India and Vietnam. But they said that in 2018, Chengdu 404 deployed a program to collect information on people involved in Hong Kong's democracy movement, on a US media group reporting on the treatment of minority Uighurs in China's Xinjiang region, and on a Tibetan Buddhist monk. The filings do not indicate how the information was used. The seven face a range of charges including computer and wire fraud, identity theft, money laundering, and racketeering. The five Chinese remain at large but the two Malaysians were arrested in Malaysia on Monday and the United States is seeking their extradition.
Pompeo says US-NKorea talks are ongoing behind scenes Washington (AFP) Sept 15, 2020 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo admitted Tuesday that the hoped-for progress in negotiations with nuclear-armed North Korea has not materialized, but talks are ongoing. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held three high-profile meetings starting in June 2018, after an uptick in tensions at the start of Trump's term. But nothing concrete emerged in terms of Pyongyang's denuclearization, and talks have been officially at a standstill for months. "We did have hopes tha ... read more
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