【difference between eroticism and sex】

Crime doesn't pay. Well,difference between eroticism and sex unless it's your side hustle when you're not working as a hacker for the North Korean government.

Then it pays. Bitcoin, specifically.

SEE ALSO: Security researcher says he's figured out how to decrypt WannaCry

Security experts researching the ransomware WannaCry have zeroed in on a group they believe to be responsible for the attack that encrypted computers around the globe. It's known as Lazarus, and you may already be familiar with what is thought to be their greatest hit: the 2014 Sony Pictures hack.

But this time around there's a twist. While the 2014 attack was believed to be directed by the North Korean government, clues surrounding the WannaCry ransomware suggest that the hackers have struck out on their own in order to make a little cash on the side.

"Analysis of these early WannaCry attacks by Symantec’s Security Response Team revealed substantial commonalities in the tools, techniques, and infrastructure used by the attackers and those seen in previous Lazarus attacks, making it highly likely that Lazarus was behind the spread of WannaCry," Symantec explains on its blog. "Despite the links to Lazarus, the WannaCry attacks do not bear the hallmarks of a nation-state campaign but are more typical of a cybercrime campaign."

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

So, a hacking group believed to be affiliated with the North Korean government, but not working at the behest of the government, is likely responsible for the WannaCry digital carnage. Got it?

Encrypting your data has never been so easy. Credit: Getty Images

How sure is Symantec of their verdict? Attribution for an attack like this is tricky work, and while it's almost impossible to know with 100 percent certainty, the researchers are standing by their assessment.

"Our confidence is very high that this is the work of people associated with the Lazarus Group, because they had to have source code access," Symantec Security Response Technical Director Vikram Thakur told Reuters.

And Symantec is not the first to point a finger at Lazarus. Another researcher, Google security researcher Neel Mehta, claimed a similar link — although that was far from definitive.

Interestingly, as The New York Timesreports, China has been hit particularly hard by WannaCry. If Chinese government officials determine that a North Korean affiliated group is indeed responsible, one imagines they won't be too happy with their ally to the east.

But hey, it's worth the risk for all that sweet Bitcoin, right? Maybe not. Despite the widespread nature of the attack, only approximately $111,000 in ransom has been paid to the three Bitcoin addresses associated with the ransomware at the time of this writing. And it won't be easy to convert the ransom into cash.

So if the Lazarus hackers did strike out on their own with the goal of hitting digital pay-dirt, they may be dissatisfied with the result. But that's OK — there are plenty of other stolen NSA exploits for them to play with.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Cliffside hotel pods offer the ultimate panoramic views at terrifying heights

---

Topics Cybersecurity

• Games
• Shopping
• Entertainment
• Science
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Social Good

• Skype is finally shutting down
• The OnePlus 5T costs half as much as a Note 8 and has a bigger screen
• Ivanka Trump's website has some very weird ideas for your Thanksgiving
• Man dancing to Michael Jackson is a real, true inspiration
• Waitin’ on the Student Debt Jubilee
• Australia just landed its first high performance centre for esports
• New video shows a special view of a meteor from space
• Did you catch the David Bowie / Prince Easter egg in 'Justice League'?
• Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum: $120 off at Amazon
• Facebook is finally getting rid of pesky app invites

• Twitter is now adding a controversial 'hacked materials' warning label to tweets
• 'OK Google' has apparently been broken on Wear OS devices for months, but a fix is coming
• Disney+ release dates for 'Loki,' 'Star Wars: The Bad Batch' and more
• Uber asked its drivers about working for the app. They didn’t hold back.
• Target is putting mini Apple stores inside its stores
• Google's Pixel Fold is real and might come this year, leaker claims
• Zuckerberg feared Facebook's conservative users, so they received special treatment
• Here are 36 cuddly baby pandas making their public debut, to make Monday better
• YouTube launches supervised accounts for tweens and teens
• Harvey Weinstein expelled from motion picture academy

• Who is SpaceX's first moon passenger, Yusaku Maezawa?
• Use your computer's extra power to mine cryptocurrency—and help low
• Ryan Seacrest being investigated by E! over sexual harassment allegation
• The 8 best poop stories of 2017
• Meta continues its submission to Trump with new advisor on its board
• New video shows a special view of a meteor from space
• New video shows a special view of a meteor from space
• iOS 11.1.2 is here to fix the iPhone X's cold weather struggles
• Best AirPods deal: Save $50 on AirPods Pro 2
• Why does Facebook suddenly have a page for the 'Top 10 goat posts'?

• Classified Zuma spacecraft may have failed after SpaceX launch
• Fireballs shoot across sky as Leonid meteor shower peaks
• Facebook steps on YouTube's turf with a creator
• The 8 best poop stories of 2017
• Best Hydro Flask deal: Save $10 on a 24
• Sarah Silverman responds to Louis CK allegations with painful honesty
• Complimentary tote bags are killing us slowly, quietly, one by one
• Stitch Fix's IPO was... fine. It was fine.
• Grim video of a starving polar bear could show the species' future
• Crazy Baby's $99 Air Nano wireless earbuds challenge Apple's AirPods