North Korea's secret 'Unit 180' cyberspy cell ‘capable of launching deadly hack attack'
NORTH Korea’s spy agency has developed a secretive hacker cell capable of unleashing technological chaos similar to the cyber attack which crippled the NHS, experts have revealed.
Ransomware behind NHS cyber attack explained
The WannaCry ransomware cyber attack infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries, causing chaos in as many as 40 NHS hospitals.
Shortly after the attack, officials from within the hermit kingdom blasted “hostile” claims they were behind the attack was “ridiculous”.
But cyber security experts believe they have found technical evidence which could link North Korea with the global hack attack.
And insiders have revealed the secretive arm of Kim Jong-un’s espionage agency are capable of carrying out such an cyber strike.
The shady cyberspy cell, dubbed ‘Unit 180’, is a part of the the tyrannical dictatorship’s main overseas intelligence agency.
Kim Heung-kwang, a former computer science professor in North Korea who defected to the South in 2004, said Pyongyang's cyber attacks aimed at raising cash are likely organised by Unit 180.
Mr Kim said: ”Unit 180 is engaged in hacking financial institutions (by) breaching and withdrawing money out of bank accounts.”
The tech expert believes some of his own students may have gone on to work for the spy hackers.
He added: ”The hackers go overseas to find somewhere with better internet services than North Korea so as not to leave a trace.”
James Lewis, a North Korea expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Pyongyang first used hacking as a tool for espionage and then political harassment against South Korean and US targets.
He said: ”They changed after Sony by using hacking to support criminal activities to generate hard currency for the regime,"
"So far, it's worked as well or better as drugs, counterfeiting, smuggling - all their usual tricks.”
It follows a report from the US Department of Defence last year which claimed North Korea "views cyber as a cost-effective, asymmetric, deniable tool that it can employ with little risk from reprisal attacks, in part because its networks are largely separated from the internet".