AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT ACTOR, ZINC
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Since 2009, the North Korean threat actor ZINC (also known as Hidden Cobra by the U.S. government) has attacked organizations and individuals by way of highly sophisticated and evolving malware. The threat actor is a destructive, nation-state activity group that gained notoriety in 2014 when they attacked Sony Pictures Entertainment. The attack was in retaliation for the controversial film “The Interview”. The film was a satirical comedy about North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.
ZINC is known for targeting security researchers, pen testers, and employees at security technology companies. In September 2022, Microsoft observed the threat actors targeting individuals from the Infosec community on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter. The threat actors spend months on social media platforms building their reputation before pulling the trigger on their targets. Let’s take a look at ZINC, their tactics and techniques, and how social engineering can fool those who were …
Since 2009, the North Korean threat actor ZINC (also known as Hidden Cobra by the U.S. government) has attacked organizations and individuals by way of highly sophisticated and evolving malware. The threat actor is a destructive, nation-state activity group that gained notoriety in 2014 when they attacked Sony Pictures Entertainment. The attack was in retaliation for the controversial film “The Interview”. The film was a satirical comedy about North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.
ZINC is known for targeting security researchers, pen testers, and employees at security technology companies. In September 2022, Microsoft observed the threat actors targeting individuals from the Infosec community on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter. The threat actors spend months on social media platforms building their reputation before pulling the trigger on their targets. Let’s take a look at ZINC, their tactics and techniques, and how social engineering can fool those who were …