Microsoft head blames North Korea for ‘WannaCry’ hospital cyberattack

By Robert King

Published October 14, 2017 3:42pm ET

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Microsoft head blames North Korea for ‘WannaCry’ hospital cyberattack — In this Monday, May 15, 2017, file photo, employees watch electronic boards monitoring possible ransomware cyberattacks at the Korea Internet and Security Agency in Seoul, South Korea. Beyond the frequently used shorthand that North Korea was behind the "WannaCry" ransomware attack lies a more complicated and enlightening story: the rise of an infamous group of workaholic hackers, collectively known as "Lazarus," who may be using secret lairs in northeast China and have created a virtual "malware factory" that could wreak a lot more havoc in the future. (Yun Dong-jin/Yonhap via AP, File) | Yun Dong-jin

Microsoft president Brad Smith believes that North Korea was behind a massive cyberattack using “WannaCry” ransomware that crippled hospitals earlier this year.

Smith told British ITV News at Microsoft’s headquarters that at this point “all observers in the know” concluded that North Korea was behind the attacks. Hackers used tools created by the National Security Agency to lock out computers unless the user paid a ransom.

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Cybersecurity Microsoft North Korea Robert King