English Entertainment
Sony Pictures & global banks among targets of N. Korean hackers, says Group-IB
MUMBAI: Group-IB, one of the global leaders in providing high-grade Threat Intelligence and best in class anti-fraud solutions vendor, has published a detailed report leaving no doubt that Lazarus, a cyber gang that attempted to steal about 1 billion USD from the Central Bank of Bangladesh and compromised a number of Polish banks, was connected to North Korea. Deep analysis of the cybercriminals’ Command & Control infrastructure as well as detailed Threat Intelligence information enabled the researchers to prove that the attacks were managed from Pyongyang.
Group-IB is one of the global leaders in preventing and investigating high-tech crimes and online fraud. The company is recognized by Gartner as a threat intelligence vendor with strong cyber security focus and the ability to provide leading insight to the Eastern European region and recommended by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
What is Lazarus?
Lazarus (also known as Dark Seoul Gang) is known to DDoS and hack governmental, military, and aerospace institutions worldwide. The earliest known attack that the group is responsible for is known as “Troy Operation”, which took place from 2009-2012. This was a cyber-espionage campaign that utilized unsophisticated DDoS techniques to target the South Korean government in Seoul. They are also responsible for attacks in 2011 and 2013. A notable hack that the group is known for is the 2014 attack on Sony Pictures, when personal information about the employees and their families, internal e-mails, copies of then-unreleased Sony films as well as other information was published. The Sony attack used more sophisticated techniques and highlighted how advanced the group has become over time. When the global economic pressure on North Korea increased, Lazarus shifted its focus to international financial organizations for financial and espionage gains. In 2016, the group attempted to steal about $951mln from the Central Bank of Bangladesh SWIFT; however, a mistake in a payment request cut the criminals’ income to only $81 mln.
What’s so peculiar about Group-IB’s report?
Previous reports were focused on either malware analysis, or the attribution based on malware analysis. However, since the attribution based on malware code similarities is not always reliable, Group-IB has focused on infrastructure research. The company’s experts conducted an in-depth investigation of Lazarus activity and gained unique insight into their complex botnet infrastructure built by the hacker group to conduct their attacks. Despite the complex three-layer architecture, encrypted channels, VPN services, and other advanced techniques, the researchers managed to identify that the group was operating from Potonggang District, North Korea — perhaps coincidentally, where National Defense Commission was located, previously the highest military body in North Korea.
Dmitry Volkov, Head of Threat Intelligence Department and сo-founder of Group-IB: “Our research testified that North Korean Lazarus group is taking extraordinary precaution measures, dividing the attacks into several stages and launching all the modules manually. So that even if the attack is detected, it would take security researchers much time and effort to investigate it. To mask malicious activity, the hackers used a three-layer C&C infrastructure and pretended to be Russians.”
Through analysis of compromised networks, Group-IB identified IP addresses of universities in the US, Canada, Great Britain, India, Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, pharmaceutical companies in Japan and China, as well as government subnets in various countries.
“Taking into consideration strengthening economic sanctions against North Korea, as well as the geopolitical tension in the region, we expect a new wave of Lazarus attacks against global financial institutions. With that said, we strongly recommend the banks learn more about targeted attacks’ tactics and techniques, increase corporate cybersecurity awareness, and cooperate with the companies providing relevant Threat Intelligence,” Volkov added.
English Entertainment
ZEE5 UK partners Narrative Entertainment to add UK channels
Six FAST channels added as platform sharpens hybrid play in Britain
LONDON: ZEE5 UK struck a first-of-its-kind deal with Narrative Entertainment, bringing mainstream UK television channels onto an Indian streaming platform as it pushes to deepen its footprint in a crowded, mature market.
The partnership adds six of Narrative’s FAST channels to the service, including Great! Movies, Great! Romance, Great! Mystery and kids brands POP, Tiny Pop and POP UP, widening ZEE5 UK’s appeal across genres and age groups.
The move reflects a clear shift in strategy. ZEE5 UK is betting on a hybrid model that blends on-demand content with curated, always-on channels to drive discovery and increase time spent on the platform.
“This partnership represents a meaningful evolution in how we serve audiences in mature markets like the UK, where viewers are defined by habits, convenience and choice rather than geography or language alone,” said Parul Goel, territory head, Europe, Zee Entertainment. “By bringing trusted mainstream UK channels together with our premium originals, movies and kids’ content, we are building a more consumer-centric platform that simplifies viewing while increasing depth and relevance.”
Fateha Begum, commercial director, Narrative Entertainment, said the tie-up would fuel growth for both sides. “Our portfolio of quality programming, with such wide and enduring appeal, is a perfect complement to ZEE5 UK. This is a strong partnership that will support growth for both parties, and we share Zee Entertainment’s vision of an increasingly partnership-led future for the industry.”
ZEE5’s global library spans over 4,000 films and more than 500 originals, with over 130 new titles added annually. The addition of Narrative’s channels strengthens its kids offering and introduces genre-led linear experiences alongside its on-demand catalogue.
The deal also gives Narrative access to ZEE5 UK’s fast-growing user base, extending reach without diluting brand identity, while reinforcing ZEE5 UK’s network of more than 40 live channels.
As streaming wars intensify, ZEE5 UK is widening its playbook, blending content, convenience and partnerships in a bid to win screen time in one of the world’s toughest markets.
