Reconnaissance General Bureau Rgb

The Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) of the Korean People's Army is a significant threat actor in global cybersecurity, housing various hacking groups under its control. These groups include well-known entities such as "Lazarus Group," "Bluenoroff," and "Andariel," identified by Executive Order 13722 as agencies or controlled entities of the Government of North Korea due to their relationship with RGB. Another notable group, known publicly as Andariel, along with Onyx Sleet, DarkSeoul, Silent Chollima, and Stonefly/Clasiopa, are part of the RGB 3rd Bureau based in Pyongyang and Sinuiju, associated with cyber espionage activity. The Pyongyang University of Automation, sanctioned by the US, is a key institution for training these malicious cybersecurity actors who often work in units subordinate to the RGB. Multiple incidents involving RGB have been reported. In one case, an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleges that Jon Chang Hyok, Kim Il, and Park Jin Hyok, members of RGB, engaged in criminal hacking. Stonefly, another RGB group, launched attacks on three US organizations shortly after the Department of Justice took action against them. Furthermore, an advisory from the FBI, NSA, and the US State Department stated that Kimsuky, operating under RGB, sent spoofed emails to high-profile individuals across various sectors, aligning with the objectives of RGB, North Korea's primary foreign intelligence agency. Kimsuky, also known as APT43, ARCHIPELAGO, Black Banshee, Emerald Sleet, Nickel Kimball, and Velvet Chollima, is a significant element operating under RGB, which also houses the Lazarus Group. Active since 2012, Kimsuky is recognized as a malicious entity conducting cyber activities associated with advanced persistent threats. The group was implicated in a conspiracy to target and hack U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers, encrypt their files, extort ransoms, launder those payments, and use the laundered proceeds to hack targets of interest to the North Korean regime.