US Names North Korea Cyber Attacker in ‘WannaCry’ Attack

Jeanette Manfra, chief of cybersecurity for the Department of Homeland Security, speaks to reporters on the WannaCry cyberattack earlier this year, as Tom Bossert, White House homeland security advisor listens at the White House in Washington, DC, on Dec. 19, 2017. The widespread attack, which plagued multiple industries in at least 150 countries and cost billions of dollars, was blamed squarely on North Korea by Bossert. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The United States is calling out North Korea for the WannaCry malware attack that infected 230,000 computers in 150 countries—an attack made more disturbing because the attack was aimed at inflicting maximum damage, rather than making money.

However, the attack may have marked a turning point in how the U.S. government deals with threats and is a “defining moment” in the battle against cyber attacks, said a White House official.