North Korea's shadowy hacking group 'Reaper' is a global threat
According to reports, North Korea's sophisticated hackers group 'Reaper' is growing into a global threat as it aims to target international aerospace, defense and health care, among various other industry verticals. This hacking group 'Reaper', also known as APT37, was identified by FireEye Inc., an American private security firm which tracks cyber-attackers. Here's more on what we know about 'Reaper' and its targets
Beware! 'Reaper' is way more sophisticated than you think
FireEye believes 'Reaper' has been active since at least 2012 and now represents "an advanced persistent threat" for private multinationals and public organizations. According to the report, 'Reaper' has used sophisticated penetration techniques, and has planted a diverse suite of custom-coded malware capable of doing everything -from eavesdropping to stealing confidential information to completely wiping data.
How 'Reaper' was tracked down
According to FireEye's research, this hacking group came under scrutiny last month after South Korea issued a warning about the use of a security vulnerability in Adobe Flash by a suspected North Korean cyber espionage group tracked down as 'Reaper' or APT37. It is believed that a developer belonging to this group mistakenly revealed his or her North Korean IP address.
'Reaper': The shadowy North Korean actor
"We assess with high confidence that this activity is carried out on behalf of the North Korean government. We judge that APT37's primary mission is covert intelligence gathering in support of North Korea's strategic military, political and economic interests," says FireEye's report.
'Reaper' is emerging as a global threat
The hacking group has expanded its targets beyond South Korea to include Japan, Vietnam, and the Middle East and now infiltrates a wider range of industries like aerospace, defense, electronics, health care and chemicals. According to the report, 'Reaper' is believed to have targeted a Middle Eastern telecommunications company, a Japan-based firm associated with United Nations and other victims which FireEye declined to name.
How protected are you?
According to FireEye, out of several custom-coded malware, 'Reaper' uses a suite called DogCall which allows the hackers to steal screenshots, access cloud storage services and even log keystrokes. In March and April 2017, DogCall was used to target South Korean government and military organizations.
Pyongyang's formidable online army
In an attempt to cushion the impact of international sanctions, North Korea has been widening its cyber army in pursuit of cash and intelligence with an estimated 6,000 hackers handpicked to conduct cyber-attacks. 'Reaper' is just another addition to a growing list of hacking groups, like 'Lazarus', which was held responsible by the US for a data theft at Sony Entertainment pictures in 2014.
