They Did It: White House Officially Accuses North Korea of #WannaCry
US White House Homeland security and counterterrorism adviser Tom Bossert has officially accused North Korea of the WannaCry cyberattacks that infected hundreds of thousands computers around the world.
The official statement by Tom Bossert, Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser, comes in his op-ed published Monday in the Wall Street Journal.
"The attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible," the statement reads.
The attack began on Friday, May 12, 2017, and infected more than 230,000 computers in over 150 countries within just a single day. Many companies and public services around the world were affected. The ransomware demanded $300 to $600 in bitcoins as ransom.
"We do not make this allegation lightly. It is based on evidence," Bossert writes. "The United Kingdom attributes the attack to North Korea, and Microsoft traced the attack to cyber affiliates of the North Korean government."
According to the statement, North Korea must be held accountable for the attack.
"Stopping malicious behavior like this starts with accountability," he writes. "Malicious hackers belong in prison, and totalitarian governments should pay a price for their actions."
The statement also mentions other countries: unsurprisingly, those are Iran and (of course) Russia.
"We brought charges against Iranian hackers who hacked several US companies, including HBO. If those hackers travel, we will arrest them and bring them to justice," Bossert writes, also mentioning the Kaspersky software scandal.
The statement also mentions a direct and one-sided action against North Korea.
"When we must, the US will act alone to impose costs and consequences for cyber malfeasance," the statement reads.
"Mr. Trump has already pulled many levers of pressure to address North Korea's unacceptable nuclear and missile developments, and we will continue to use our maximum pressure strategy to curb Pyongyang's ability to mount attacks, cyber or otherwise," it says in conclusion.
- Source : Sputnik
