Britain says North Korea was behind the 'WannaCry' cyber-attack that infected computers across the globe earlier this year, joining the US in blaming Pyongyang for the ransomware incident.
Britain's National Cyber Security Centre had assessed it was highly likely that North Korea's Lazarus hacking group was behind the one of the most significant cyber-attacks to hit the UK in terms of scale of disruption, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday (local time).
"We condemn these actions and commit ourselves to working with all responsible states to combat destructive criminal use of cyber space," Foreign Office minister Tariq Ahmad said.
"The indiscriminate use of the WannaCry ransomware demonstrates North Korean actors using their cyber program to circumvent sanctions," Ahmad said.
The Trump administration has publicly blamed North Korea for unleashing the so-called WannaCry cyber-attack that crippled hospitals, banks and other companies across the globe, including in Australia, earlier this year.
"The attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible," Tom Bossert, Homeland Security adviser to President Donald Trump, wrote in a piece published on Monday night in the Wall Street Journal.
"North Korea has acted especially badly, largely unchecked, for more than a decade, and its malicious behavior is growing more egregious," Mr Bossert wrote. "WannaCry was indiscriminately reckless."
The White House was expected to follow up on Tuesday (local time) with a more formal statement blaming Pyongyang, according to a senior administration official.
Reuters
