Israel said it thwarted a cyberattack against its defense industry by a hacking group tied to North Korea.
The Israel Defense Ministry announced the attempted infiltration on Wednesday, claiming that hackers used false job offers in a bid to gain access to sensitive networks and glean information. A statement said hackers known collectively as the Lazarus Group, or Hidden Cobra, constructed fake LinkedIn profiles in an effort to pose as potential employees.
“Members of the group used various hacking techniques, including ‘social engineering’ and impersonation,” the ministry said. “The attackers impersonated managers, CEOs and leading officials in HR departments, as well as representatives of international companies, and contacted employees of leading defense industries in Israel, with the aim of developing discussions and tempting them with various job opportunities.”
The ministry said the ruse was disrupted in time and “no harm or disruption was made to their networks.” It is not yet clear how many people and companies were targeted or when the attempt took place, according to the Times of Israel.
The United States Treasury Department has said that the Lazarus Group is tied to the North Korean regime’s intelligence operations. North Korea faced sanctions from the U.S. after Lazarus Group was blamed for the 2014 hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the State Department for comment about the Defense Ministry’s Wednesday announcement.
“The Director of Security for the Defense Establishment will continue its work in thwarting attempts to breach the networks of Israeli defense industries, and any attempts to harm the technological capabilities and assets of the State of Israel,” the ministry said.
The Washington Examiner also reached out to North Korea’s United Nations mission for comment but did not receive a response.
