group-ib-hi-tech-crime-trends-2017-trend-report-2017-en.pdf (2 MB)

Group-IB’s 2017 trend report identifies the Lazarus North Korean hacker group as targeting major international banks and central banks worldwide for theft and espionage. The excerpt places that activity within a broader rise in state-sponsored operations against financial institutions and critical infrastructure, including ransomware used to distract from high-profile targeted attacks. It also describes the wider banking-threat landscape of attackers focusing on ATMs, card-processing systems, SWIFT-connected environments, and phishing as an initial infection vector, while discussing other groups such as MoneyTaker and Cobalt separately. For DPRK-focused tracking, the supported Lazarus-specific finding is the group’s bank and central-bank targeting for espionage and financial theft.