US to create cybercrime bureau against China, N. Korea

The US State Department said Thursday that it is creating the Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET) to respond to security threats posed by adversaries including China, North Korea, Russia and Iran.

The threats have increased since Congress was notified of the plan in June 2019, the State Department said in a statement.

The CSET bureau will lead the US government diplomatic efforts on international cyberspace security concerns that affect US national security and foreign policy, and will help engage with allies and partners to address security concerns, the statement said.

In October last year, the US Justice Department warned North Korea was stealing money in cyberattacks that China backed through sharing expertise and training.

“They’ve used it really to steal banks and money. That’s not really the behavior we see from China or Russia or even Iran, despite the Iran sanctions,” John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, told a webinar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“North Korea is kind of unique in that way,” Demers said, referring to the bank heist campaign by the cash-strapped regime struggling with the coronavirus and international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program.

China’s unwillingness to cooperate with the US to probe North Korea was the single biggest challenge in slapping sanctions on Pyongyang, Demers added.

The North is believed to be sponsoring hacker groups looking to rob banks and cryptocurrency exchanges in a bid to skirt international sanctions and support its nuclear program and the moribund economy.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)