The United States on Friday sanctioned three North Korean cyber hacking groups.

The Department of the Treasury said the new measures target the three entities of Lazarus Group, Bluenoroff and Andariel, all of which it says are controlled by North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau.

Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker said in a statement that North Korean hacking groups have been perpetrating cyberattacks to support illicit weapon and missile programs. 

The U.S. says the attacks targeted infrastructure of government systems worldwide as well as the finance, press and entertainment sectors.

The sanctions freeze all of the entities' property and interests in the U.S., and also those of other entities that are owned by the three groups by 50 percent or more. 

The three groups are also banned from conducting any transactions with Americans. 

The latest Treasury measure comes as Washington and Pyongyang are expected to resume nuclear negotiations later this month.