Most hackers want money. Some want attention. A few want secrets. Lazarus Group wants all three, and it has something no ransomware gang will ever have: a country standing behind it.

I spend a lot of my time studying how real attacks actually happen, because that is the only honest way to defend what I build. And no name shows up more often behind the biggest heists of the last decade than this one.

Who they are

"Lazarus" is the umbrella name researchers use for hacking units run by North Korea. Governments, including the United States, attribute them to the country's intelligence apparatus. You will also see names like APT38, TraderTraitor or BlueNoroff. They are sub-teams, specialised by mission.

What makes them different is the goal. Most state hackers steal secrets. Lazarus steals money , on purpose, at national scale. A heavily sanctioned country cannot easily use the banking system, so it robs it instead.

The greatest hits

The list is honestly ridiculous:

2014: Sony Pictures.…