USA: The Pentagon, US defense contractors and even government organizations were reportedly the target of North Korea's alleged "malicious cyber activities", according to a joint notice from the US and South Korea.

Ransomware attacks against the US and South Korea were described in a cyber security advisory released on Thursday. It claimed that the North Korean hackers were using the money they earned from the attacks to fund other cyber operations.

In a separate press release, security agencies noted that DPRK cyber actors are using cryptocurrency obtained from illegal cybercrime activities to purchase infrastructure such as IP addresses and domain names, including health care systems and other "critical infrastructure".

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Ransomware attacks typically involve hackers taking control of a victim's computer, personal information or passwords before demanding payment. This payment is often made in cryptocurrency, which is difficult to track.

The advisory, put together by the FBI, several South Korean agencies, the US National Security Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services, claims that "an unspecified amount of revenue" from the ransomware has been redirected to other cyberattacks that support Pyongyang. We do. "National-Level Priorities and Objectives."

The US and South Korean governments were reportedly targets of such attacks, as well as the US "Department of Defense Information Network and Defense Industrial Base Member Network".

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President Joe Biden was briefed on the most recent cyberattack, a senior US official later claimed to CNN, adding that North Korean hackers are coming up with more and more "creative" ways to make money.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated over the past year, as a result of the DPRK conducting a record number of missile tests in 2022 and a flurry of joint war exercises by the US and South Korea.

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Although North Korean weapons were not mentioned in Thursday's consultation, US officials have previously claimed that funds from cyberattacks were used for weapons development, although little evidence was provided to support the claim. have been done.