N KOREA'S INTERNATIONAL CYBER ATTACKS

   To tackle this threat, the United States must stop other countries from directly and indirectly supporting North Korea’s cyber attacks. North Korea accesses the outside world through a Chinese internet provider and North Korean hackers reportedly operate from inside China. A Russian company recently started providing an internet connection to North Korea and Iran provides it with equipment. There are rumors that North Korean hackers operate from countries in South and Southeast Asia. The Trump administration needs to build new relations with North Korea’s allies to weaken the activity of North Korean hackers within their territories.
   Perhaps most urgently, Washington needs to determine Pyongyang’s end game. WannaCry was likely an attempt to generate cash to counter the effects of sanctions, and researchers say that North Korea’s hackers netted millions from the 2016 cyber heist at Bangladesh Bank and on exchanges trading in virtual currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.