dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

intrusions, and other malicious cyber-enabled activities through a thorough investigation that identified and traced: email and social media accounts that connect to each other and were used to send spear-phishing messages; aliases, malware “collector accounts” used to store stolen credentials; common malware code libraries; proxy services used to mask locations; and North Korean, Chinese, and other IP addresses. Some of this malicious infrastructure was used across multiple instances of the malicious activities described herein. Taken together, these connections and signatures—revealed in charts attached to the criminal complaint—show that the attacks and intrusions were perpetrated by the same actors.

Accompanying Mitigation Efforts

Throughout the course of the investigation, the FBI and the Department provided specific information to victims about how they had been targeted or compromised, as well as information about the tactics and techniques used by the conspiracy with the goals of remediating any intrusion and preventing future intrusions. That direct sharing of information took place in the United States and in foreign countries, often with the assistance of foreign law enforcement partners. The FBI also has collaborated with certain private cybersecurity companies by sharing and analyzing information about the intrusion patterns used by the members of the conspiracy.

In connection with the unsealing of the criminal complaint, the FBI and prosecutors provided cybersecurity providers and other private sector partners detailed information on accounts used by the Conspiracy in order to assist these partners in their own independent investigative activities and disruption efforts.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendant will be determined by the assigned judge.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie S. Christensen, Anthony J. Lewis, and Anil J. Antony of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and DOJ Trial Attorneys David Aaron and Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance throughout this investigation, as did many of the FBI’s Legal Attachés, and foreign authorities around the world.

The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

For the U.S. Department of Treasury’s press release announcing corresponding sanctions please visit www.treasury.gov.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/north-korean-regime-backed-programmer-charged-conspiracy-conduct-multiple-cyber-attacks-and