North Korean ‘cyber espionage’ campaign to steal military, nuclear secrets exposed

North Korean hackers conducted a global cyber espionage campaign to steal classified military secrets and further Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons ambitions, the United States, Britain, and South Korea said in a joint advisory issued Thursday.

The hackers, dubbed Anadriel or APT45, and its methods “remain an ongoing threat to various industry sectors worldwide,” the advisory said. The cyberattacks targeted US, UK, and South Korean organizations and businesses, as well as targets in Japan and India.

The hackers primarily attacked defense, aerospace, nuclear and engineering firms, the officials said. The group has also launched ransomware attacks against US health care organizations to extort payments and fund espionage activity, the advisory said.