Was North Korea Behind The Ransomware Cyberattacks?

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TOKYO (AP) — A couple of things about the WannaCry cyberattack are certain. It was the biggest in history and it’s a scary preview of things to come — we’re all going to have to get used to hearing the word “ransomware.” But one thing is a lot less clear: whether North Korea had anything to do with it.

Despite bits and pieces of evidence that suggest a possible North Korea link, experts warn there is nothing conclusive yet — and a lot of reasons to be dubious. Why, for example, would Pyongyang carry out a big hack that hurt its two closest strategic partners more than anyone else? And for what appears to be a pretty measly amount of loot — as of Friday the grand total of ransom that had been paid was less than $100,000.

North Korea’s deputy U.N. ambassador Kim In Ryong dismissed allegations that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — the country’s official name — was behind the recent wave of global cyberattacks as “ridiculous.”

“Whenever something strange happens it is the stereotype way of the United States and the hostile forces that kick off noisy anti-DPRK campaign deliberately linking with DPRK,” he told a news conference at the United Nations in New York.