US offers $10M reward to find North Korean Hacker

TLDR

• The US Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment of a North Korean military intelligence operative targeting US critical infrastructure.
• The individual, Rom Jong Hyok, allegedly carried out ransomware attacks against healthcare facilities and funneled the ransom payments to arrange other breaches into defense, technology, and government organizations globally.

The US is offering a $10 million reward for information on North Korean hacker Rom Jong Hyok, who is part of a DPRK-backed group known as Andariel. Rom Jong Hyok is accused of conducting ransomware attacks targeting healthcare entities and facilitating breaches into defense, technology, and government organizations around the world. The ransom payments were laundered through Hong Kong to purchase virtual private servers for exfiltrating sensitive information. Andariel, controlled by DPRK’s military intelligence agency, poses an ongoing threat globally and is responsible for cyberattacks involving the ‘Maui’ ransomware strain. The US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) has announced the reward for information leading to the capture of Rom Jong Hyok, Andariel, or their co-conspirators.