US unveils national strategy to counter cybercrimes by N. Korea, others

U.S. President Joe Biden holds up a sign for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel as he speaks during the annual House Democrats Issues Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, March 1. AFP-Yonhap

The United States on Thursday released a national strategy to enhance cybersecurity and mitigate illicit cyber activities by actors from countries such as North Korea.

The strategy released by the White House calls for efforts to defend the country's "critical infrastructure" and "disrupt and dismantle threat actors."

"The governments of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and other autocratic states with revisionist intent are aggressively using advanced cyber capabilities to pursue objectives that run counter to our interests and broadly accepted international norms," says the text of the strategy released by the White House.

North Korea or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) "conducts cyber activities to generate revenue through criminal enterprises, such as through the theft of cryptocurrency, ransomware and the deployment of surreptitious information technology (IT) workers for the purpose of fueling its nuclear ambitions," it adds.

The White House earlier said that Pyongyang secures up to 30 percent of funds for its nuclear and missile development programs through illicit cyber activities that include cryptocurrency heists and money laundering.

To disrupt illicit cyber activities by such "malicious actors," the National Cybersecurity Strategy says the U.S. will integrate federal disruption activities, enhance public-private cooperation and prevent abuse of U.S. infrastructure.

It also calls for efforts to build international partnerships and U.S. ability to assist allies and partners in responding to cyber threats. (Yonhap)