Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) North Korean cyber attacks, and (2) reports that the regime has been responsible for a $81 million bank cyber heist.

As detailed in the National Cyber Security Strategy, we know that there are several established and capable states and state-sponsored groups seeking to penetrate UK networks. The UK currently considers public attribution of cyber attacks on a case-by-case basis. In 2014, the FBI found that North Korea was responsible for the malicious cyber activity against Sony Pictures Entertainment. The former Foreign Secretary (Mr Hammond) publicly condemned this activity. We are aware of reports linking North Korea with cyber-enabled crime.

To meet the challenges of cyber threats, on 1 November 2016 the Government launched the National Cyber Security Strategy. Supported by £1.9 billion of transformational investment, the strategy sets out ambitious policies and capabilities to protect the UK in cyber space.