US Government Identifies North Korean Hacking Tool

Authorities in the United States have this week identified malware allegedly from North Korea, which is said to be part of that country’s hacking program to raise funds from targets aboard. The malware, dubbed ‘ElectricFish’, was identified by both the FBI and Department for Homeland Security (DHS). The US Cyber Emergency Response Team (US-Cert) published a report warning both the security industry and the general public about the new malware on Thursday. “Working with US Government partners, DHS and FBI identified a malware variant used by the North Korean government,” warned the report. “This malware has been identified as ElectricFish.” The US Government said the malware is part of the “malicious cyber activity by the North Korean government,” a campaign it calls Hidden Cobra. “DHS and FBI are distributing this MAR to enable network defense and reduce exposure to North Korean government malicious cyber activity,” the report added.