Washington (dpa) - The Trump administration has blamed a massive global cyberattack that affected 150 countries in May on North Korea.
"After careful investigation, the U.S. today publicly attributes the massive 'WannaCry' cyberattack to North Korea," White House Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert wrote in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal newspaper Tuesday.
"We do not make this allegation lightly. It is based on evidence. We are not alone with our findings, either. Other governments and private companies agree," Bossert added.
More than 150 countries were affected by the WannaCry attack in mid-May which exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, the most widely used operating system in the world.
"North Korea has acted especially badly, largely unchecked, for more than a decade, and its malicious behavior is growing more egregious. WannaCry was indiscriminately reckless," Bossert said further.
Malicious hackers belong in prison, and totalitarian governments should pay a price for their actions, Bossert asserted.
"The rest of us must redouble our efforts to improve our collective defences," he wrote
Bossert did not outline the government's specific plans to deal with cyber-attacks, but officials in Washington said he was expected to do so later Tuesday.
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