Intelligence agencies warn of North Korean cyber espionage campaign

Intelligence agencies are warning that North Korea is engaging in a global cyber-espionage campaign.

The report released Thursday, authored by American, South Korean, and U.K. intelligence agencies, accuses North Korea of targeting the defense, aerospace, nuclear, and engineering industries.

The Joint Cybersecurity Advisory (JCA) accuses a North Korean "state-funded cyber group publicly known as Andariel" of working "to obtain sensitive and classified technical information and intellectual property to advance the regime’s military and nuclear programs and ambitions."

"The authoring agencies believe the group and the cyber techniques remain an ongoing threat to various industry sectors worldwide," the JCA stated.

The JCA identifies what type of information Andariel seeks from the defense, aerospace, nuclear, and engineering industries.

"Submarines, torpedoes, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)" are popular targets from the defense industry.

When targeting the aerospace industry, Andariel goes after information on "missiles and missile defense systems."

From the nuclear industry, North Korea's cyber-espionage campaign seeks information on "uranium processing and enrichment."

Information on "shipbuilding and marine engineering" tops Andariel's wishlist from the engineering industry.

Andariel supports its cyber-espionage campaign "through ransomware operations against U.S. healthcare entities."

"The authoring agencies have observed the actors launching ransomware attacks and conducting cyber espionage operations on the same day and/or leveraging ransomware and cyber espionage against the same entity," the JCA reads.