A Look At North Korea's Secretive Elite Hacker Unit

In North Korea, Hackers Are A Handpicked, Pampered Elite -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Despite its poverty and isolation, North Korea has poured resources into a sophisticated cyber-warfare cell called Bureau 121, defectors from the secretive state said as Pyongyang came under the microscope for a crippling hack into computers at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

A North Korean diplomat has denied Pyongyang was behind the attack that was launched last month but a U.S. national security source said it was a suspect.

Defectors from the North have said Bureau 121, staffed by some of the most talented computer experts in the insular state, is part of the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, an elite spy agency run by the military. They have said it is involved in state-sponsored hacking, used by the Pyongyang government to spy on or sabotage its enemies.

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More News On North Korea's Cyberwar Capabilities

North Korea Training Secretive Elite Hacker Unit, Says Defector -- Newsweek
Inside Unit 121: The North Korean Hackers That Took Down Sony -- Vocativ
North Korea's cyber spies exposed: Inside the secretive cyber-warfare cell bureau -- The Independent
A glimpse into the world of North Korea's hacking elite -- ZDNet
North Korea's Cyber Skills Get Attention Amid Sony Hacking Mystery -- NPR
Hackers leak Sony passwords, social security numbers and salaries -- Endgadget
'North Korean hackers' leak Sylvester Stallone's social security number -- The Telegraph
North Korean Diplomat Denies His Country Hacked Sony -- Time
North Korea still a suspect in Sony attack despite denial -- Reuters