North Korean hackers pose threat through innovative tactics, say experts
China, Russia and Iran each pose evolving cyberthreats to the U.S. government and American companies, but North Korea has the “most innovative” hackers, former intelligence officials and private sector leaders say — in part because they have less money and have to get creative to get results.
Whether it’s snatching credit card data from citizens, unleashing ransomware on corporations or swiping defense secrets from South Korea — North Korea’s hacker army is almost as feared globally as its nuclear arsenal, experts contend.
“While they may lack the technical sophistication of Russia, China or certainly the U.S., I would call the North Koreans the most innovative threat actors in cyberspace,” Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder of leading cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, told a global cyberthreats summit Tuesday in Washington.