"Justice Department Seizes $500K From North Korean Hackers Who Targeted US Medical Organizations"
The US Justice Department recently seized approximately half a million dollars that North Korean government-backed hackers had either extorted from US health care organizations or used to launder ransom payments. The North Korean hackers hit a medical center in Kansas last year, encrypting computer systems the facility relied on to operate key equipment and another medical provider in Colorado. US authorities have started the process of returning the extorted funds to victims. Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated that the series of ransomware attacks from North Korea, whose hackers generally either funnel money to the regime or enrich themselves, in some cases disrupted health services at the organizations for "prolonged periods." Monaco applauded the unnamed Kansas organization for reporting the incident to the FBI and urged more US companies to do so to help the bureau disrupt a ransomware ecosystem that thrives on victims keeping quiet. The report from the Kansas facility allowed the FBI to identify a new type of ransomware used by the North Koreans, Monaco said and allowed the FBI to ultimately seize ransom payments along with cryptocurrency from China-based money-launderers working for the North Koreans.