US charges N Korean programmer with WannaCry, other massive cyberattacks

Washington DC: A computer programmer allegedly working for the North Korean government has been charged in the US with a series of massive cyberattacks around the world, including the WannaCry ransomware that infected computers in 150 countries and USD 81 million bank heist in Bangladesh.

In a criminal complaint filed on June 8 and made public for the first time Thursday, the Department of Justice alleged that the programmer, Park Jin Hyok, was part of "a wide-ranging multi-year conspiracy" led by the North Korean government and carried out multiple cyberattacks through a front organisation.

Park is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The Justice Department alleged that Park was a member of a government-sponsored hacking team known to the private sector as the "Lazarus Group", and worked for North Korean government front company Chosun Expo Joint Venture (Korea Expo Joint Venture or KEJV) to support the North Korean government's "malicious" cyber actions.