North Korea has opened a new internet connection with the outside world, this time via Russia, a move which cybersecurity experts say would strengthen the country’s internet and its ability to conduct cyberattacks.
The Reuters says that North Korea has been blamed for several major cyberattacks in recent years, including against banks and Sony Pictures, as well as the WannaCry ransomware attack. Pyongyang has routinely denied any involvement.
Dyn Research, a company which monitors internet connectivity, said it had seen Russian telecommunications company TransTeleCom routing North Korean traffic since about 0900 GMT on Sunday.
TransTeleCom could not be immediately reached to comment on the report.
North Korea’s internet is limited to a few hundred connections. But these connections are vital for coordinating the country’s cyber attacks, said Bryce Boland, FireEye’s chief technology office for the Asia-Pacific region.
Boland also confirmed the new connection, which was first reported by 38 North, a project of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
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