Storm-0530
Aliases: DEV-0530, H0lyGh0st
- First seen
- 2021-06-01 00:00:00
- Origin
- KP
- Primary motivation
- financial-gain
- Sophistication
- intermediate
- Resource level
- government
- Actor type
- nation-state
- Profile updated
- 2026-07-07 12:05:14
Targeted industries: manufacturing professional-services technology-and-telecommunications
Context
H0lyGh0st is a North Korean threat actor that has been active since June 2021. They are responsible for developing and deploying the H0lyGh0st ransomware, which targets small-to-medium businesses in various sectors. The group employs "double extortion" tactics, encrypting data and threatening to publish it if the ransom is not paid. There are connections between H0lyGh0st and the PLUTONIUM APT group, indicating a possible affiliation.
Reports & references
- ics-cert.kaspersky.com — Apt Attacks On Industrial Organizations In H2 2022 (report)
- CISA — Aa23 040A (report)
- blogs.blackberry.com — H0Lygh0St Ransomware (report)
- Microsoft — North Korean Threat Actor Targets Small And Midsize Businesses With H0Lygh0St Ransomware (report)
- picussecurity.com — H0Lygh0St North Korean Threat Group Strikes Back With New Ransomware (report)
- Microsoft — Microsoft Threat Actor Naming (report)