The Lazarus Heist:

They call themselves Lazarus, after the biblical figure who rose from the dead. They are a shadowy group of hackers who work for the North Korean regime, carrying out cyberattacks on targets around the world. Their motives are unclear, but their methods are ruthless. They have stolen millions of dollars from banks, disrupted the operations of casinos and film studios, and even tried to sabotage a nuclear power plant. They are the most dangerous cybercriminals in the world, and no one knows who they are or how to stop them.

The story of Lazarus begins in 2009, when a malware called DarkSeoul infected thousands of computers in South Korea, wiping out data and displaying a message that read "Long live General Kim Jong-un". The attack was traced back to North Korea, which denied any involvement. But it was only the beginning of a series of cyberattacks that would escalate in scale and sophistication over the years.

In 2014, Lazarus targeted Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Hollywood studio behind The Interview, a comedy film that mocked Kim Jong-un. The hackers breached the studio's network and leaked confidential data, including personal emails, scripts, and unreleased films. They also threatened to launch terrorist attacks on cinemas that showed the film, forcing Sony to cancel its release. The US government blamed North Korea for the attack, which denied any responsibility.

In 2016, Lazarus pulled off one of the biggest bank heists in history. They hacked into the SWIFT network, a global system that facilitates money transfers between banks, and sent fraudulent instructions to transfer $951 million from the Bangladesh Bank's account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to various accounts in Asia. They managed to steal $81 million before the scheme was detected and stopped. The money was laundered through casinos in the Philippines and never recovered.

In 2017, Lazarus unleashed a global ransomware attack called WannaCry, which encrypted the files of millions of computers and demanded payment in Bitcoin to unlock them. The attack affected hospitals, schools, businesses, and governments in over 150 countries. The UK's National Health Service was particularly hit hard, as many patients were unable to access their medical records or book appointments. The US and UK governments accused North Korea of being behind the attack, which claimed it was a victim.

In 2018, Lazarus targeted a nuclear power plant in India, using a malware called Dtrack to infiltrate its network and gather information. The attack was discovered by cybersecurity researchers who warned that it could have caused serious damage to the plant's operations and safety. The Indian authorities denied that any harm was done.

In 2019, Lazarus shifted its focus to cryptocurrency exchanges, which offer an easy way to obtain funds without being traced. They hacked into several platforms in South Korea and Japan, stealing tens of millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin and other digital currencies. They also created fake websites and apps to lure unsuspecting users into giving up their credentials or downloading malicious software.

In 2020, Lazarus attempted to steal Covid-19 vaccine research from pharmaceutical companies in the US and UK, using phishing emails and malware to gain access to their systems. The hackers posed as recruiters or journalists and sent messages with attachments that contained malicious code. The attack was foiled by cybersecurity experts who alerted the companies.

In 2021, Lazarus continues to pose a serious threat to global security and stability. They have shown no signs of slowing down or stopping their cyberattacks, despite international sanctions and pressure on North Korea. They have also improved their skills and techniques, making them harder to detect and counter. They are believed to have hundreds of members operating from different locations around the world, using encrypted communication channels and proxy servers to hide their identities and locations.

Who are they? What do they want? How can they be stopped? These are the questions that haunt the victims and investigators of Lazarus. They are the questions that make this story one of the most intriguing and mysterious in the history of cybercrime and espionage.