The Wall Street Journal says that North Korea’s cyber army is increasingly focused on hacking international financial institutions to channel funds to North Korea.
 
Quoting a report by the Seoul-based Korea Institute of Finance, the U.S. daily said on Thursday that bank accounts are the new target of North Korea’s army of hackers.
 
The paper said that the emphasis on finances represents a significant shift from the North’s prior patterns of attack seeking to obtain military information or destabilizing networks.
 
It said the North is now using its cyber capabilities as means to secure funds.
 
The journal said that the North’s accelerating efforts to hack financial institutions shows it is having difficulties securing funds for its nuclear and missile development programs amid global financial sanctions.
 
The report said that the North Korean hackers carried out attacks that range from infecting ATMs with malware to stealing banking data in South Korea, adding the tactics resemble an organized crime unit more than a military operation.

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