US Justice Department announced a complaint to seize and forfeit cryptocurrencies from North Korean state-sponsored ransomware actors

The US Justice Department filed a complaint to seize and forfeit around $500,000 in cryptocurrencies from North Korean state-sponsored ransomware actors, specifically related to the Maui ransomware used in healthcare sectors in Kansas and Colorado. A joint advisory was also issued by the FBI, CISA, and Treasury to safeguard health organizations from similar threats.

A complaint to forfeit cryptocurrencies paid as ransom to the North Korean state-sponsored ransomware actors was filed in the District of Kansas. Namely, the US Justice Department seized and forfeited around $500.000 from the Maui ransomware.

According to the court documents, the North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors have been using the Maui ransomware to encrypt the files and servers in the healthcare sectors in the Districts of Kansas and Colorado. Following the investigations of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in May 2022, the contents of two cryptocurrency accounts, which received funds from Kansas and Colorado health care providers, were seized.

Additionally, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Department of Treasury issued a joint cybersecurity advisory earlier this month to protect health organizations from such threats.