https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Complete 2023 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2023 MSP 501 50-1
    • 2023 MSP 501 100-51
    • 2023 MSP 501 150-101
    • 2023 MSP 501 200-151
    • 2023 MSP 501 250-201
    • 2023 MSP 501 300-251
    • 2023 MSP 501 350-301
    • 2023 MSP 501 400-351
    • 2023 MSP 501 450-401
    • 2023 MSP 501 501-451
    • NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Channel Futures 20: Top Tech Providers
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2023 MSP 501
    • 2023 NextGen 101
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
    • Channel Leaders Lists
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2024 CP Expo Call for Speakers
    • Channel Futures Leadership Summit
    • MSP Summit
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Complete 2023 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2023 MSP 501 50-1
    • 2023 MSP 501 100-51
    • 2023 MSP 501 150-101
    • 2023 MSP 501 200-151
    • 2023 MSP 501 250-201
    • 2023 MSP 501 300-251
    • 2023 MSP 501 350-301
    • 2023 MSP 501 400-351
    • 2023 MSP 501 450-401
    • 2023 MSP 501 501-451
    • NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Channel Futures 20: Top Tech Providers
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2023 MSP 501
    • 2023 NextGen 101
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
    • Channel Leaders Lists
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2024 CP Expo Call for Speakers
    • Channel Futures Leadership Summit
    • MSP Summit
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

Security


Shutterstock

North Korea hacker

U.S. Doubles Reward for Information on North Korea Cyberattackers

  • Written by Edward Gately
  • July 29, 2022
One cybersecurity expert says doubling the reward won't do any good.

The United States has doubled the available reward for useful information on North Korea state-sponsored attacks on U.S. health care and other critical infrastructure.

According to Dark Reading, the federal Rewards for Justice program is now offering a $10 million reward for information. The State Department has a tip line where anyone can submit information on North Korean-sponsored threat actors. Those include Lazarus Group, Kimsuky, BlueNoroff and Andariel, all linked to the North Korea government.

Earlier this month, the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of the Treasury released a joint cybersecurity advisory on Maui ransomware, which has been used by North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors since at least May 2021 to target health care and public health sector organizations.

Doubling Reward Won’t Matter

Andrew Hay is Lares Consulting‘s COO. He doesn’t believe increasing the reward for information will matter.

Lares Consulting's Andrew Hay

Lares Consulting’s Andrew Hay

“The only thing I see it generating is a flood of more calls with misleading, suspect or false information that will only waste the FBI’s time,” he said.

Jamie Boote is associate principal consultant at Synopsys Software Integrity Group. He said North Korea’s exports have dropped from billions in 2016 to tens of millions over the past year. This drop in legitimate sources of income has pushed North Korea’s government to sustain itself on illicit activities.

Synopsys' Jamie Boote

Synopsys’ Jamie Boote

“Ransomware is an incredibly profitable enterprise if practiced from beyond the reach of punishing governments,” he said. “The logistics of acquiring some ransomware malware packages and sending them out to potential victims is a small investment when some victims are willing to pay millions to unlock their data and restore operations. In the past, ransomware cells have operated out of countries without strong diplomatic ties to western governments.”

Russia actively turns a blind eye to ransomware operations that target U.S. and European victims, Boote said. And the chilling relationship has intensified in 2022.

Western Governments Beginning to Fight Back

The U.S. tip line is an indication that Western governments are beginning to fight back, Boote said. But they can’t be too active without escalating tensions.

“Companies should continue to practice proper cyber hygiene to prevent and mitigate the threats of ransomware attacks like this,” he said. “Proper awareness training programs and education efforts will prevent employees from providing the first entry point for ransomware. Proper email scanning and intrusion detection can block ransomware at the border or limit its spread. Network segmentation can limit the spread. And a proper backup recovery scheme can help restore operations without providing funding that will inevitably fund additional ransomware attacks against more victims.”

Casey Ellis is Bugcrowd‘s founder and CTO. He said North Korea’s use of ransomware as a means to generate national revenue was once an open-secret. But it’s now pretty well documented and openly discussed.

Bugcrowd's Casey Ellis

Bugcrowd’s Casey Ellis

“Health care as a sector continues to be vulnerable to ransomware due to aging equipment, lack of security support, and the technology and health care pressures created by COVID-19, so this suggests that [North Korea] is a persistent threat to the U.S.,” he said. “As for the reward, it’ll be interesting to see if the amount starts to act as a deterrent, or if it prompts anyone complicit with state-sponsored activities to go turncoat and inform on their fellow operators. At the very least, the reward would be creating a crisis of trust within the [North Korean] teams working on these attacks.”

Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Edward Gately or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Tags: MSPs VARs/SIs Regulation & Compliance Security Technologies Vertical Markets

Most Recent


  • Cisco acquisition of Splunk gets partner reaction
    Partners Hope Splunk Keeps 'Pace of Innovation' in Cisco Acquisition
    All will be well if Cisco integrates Splunk the way it integrated Meraki, a partner told Channel Futures.
  • Broadcom-VMware and China
    Broadcom-VMware Hits Snag in China as IT Incurs Too-High Cloud Costs
    Our latest cloud news roundup features an acquisition update, looks at research you need to know, and more.
  • cloud marketplaces
    Haven’t Drunk the Cloud Marketplaces Kool-Aid? It’s About Time You Did
    The Ultimate Partner's Vince Menzione explains why channel partners (small ones, too) need to get on board.
  • Watching reality TV
    The Channel on Reality TV: Tech Advisor Shares Experience on Startup Show
    Going on a show for entrepreneurs showed how the technology advisor channel is one of the business world's "biggest secrets."

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Layoffs_staff cuts
    2022 Telecom-IT Layoff Tracker: Oracle, Microsoft, Qumulo, IronNet, More
  • Telarus Partner Summit: TSB, Partners Declare War on Global SIs
  • MDR
    MDR Provider Deepwatch Chooses Juniper, CyCognito Vet to Lead Global Channel
  • SASE
    Netskope Partners to Get Easier SASE Delivery via Infiot Acquisition

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Futures Leadership Summit

October 30, 2023 - November 2, 2023

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

March 11, 2024 - March 14, 2024

Channel Futures Leadership Summit 2024

September 17, 2024 - September 19, 2024

Galleries

View all

Broadcom-VMware Hits Snag in China as IT Incurs Too-High Cloud Costs

September 22, 2023

Cisco’s Splunk Acquisition ‘True Bombshell Move,’ Will Have Massive Impact on Cybersecurity

September 21, 2023

Cisco SMB Business Gets Updated Sales Coverage Model, New Investments

September 21, 2023

Industry Perspectives

View all

Why Conversational AI Matters for Your Customers and How It Can Boost Your Revenue

September 15, 2023

The 5 Ds that Lead to Unplanned Business Sales

September 13, 2023

Hot Generative AI Market Must ‘Cool Down’

August 28, 2023

Webinars

View all

MSP 501: Leadership in Cybersecurity

October 19, 2023

DE&I: Find the Balance that Works for You

September 7, 2023

Above and Beyond with the NextGen 101ers

August 30, 2023

White Papers

View all

6 UCaaS Reseller Challenges and How Real World Businesses Solved Them

February 1, 2023

Frost Radar: North American UCaaS Market, 2022

February 1, 2023

The Complete Guide to White-Label UCaaS for Reseller Success

February 1, 2023

Channel Futures TV

View all

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 129: ZLH Enterprises

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 128: Channel Partner Strategies Intelligence Service

August 25, 2023

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 127: Expereo, Movie Night Returns

August 18, 2023

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 126: ARG

July 28, 2023

MSP 501

The industry's largest and most comprehensive partner awards program.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X