North Korea poses a growing hacking threat to the UK, spy chiefs warn as firms are urged to boost their security measures

North Korea poses a growing cyber threat to the UK, intelligence chiefs said yesterday.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an unprecedented joint advisory with the South Korean National Intelligence Service about a surge in attacks by North Korean hackers.

Attacks on software supply chains from state-linked groups are becoming more advanced and growing in volume as hackers seek to infiltrate businesses and major organisations in Britain.

Security chiefs have urged firms to boost their security measures to reduce the risk of their systems being breached.

The NCSC, which is part of GCHQ, has warned that hackers are using new tactics that leave many victims unaware they have been targeted. Attacks on software-based supply chains pose a major risk, as a single compromised machine could hit multiple organisations and lead to onward attacks. They can also be harder to detect because the hackers use legitimate software and hardware.

The joint advisory warns that North Korean-backed attacks of this nature are likely to step up as the hostile state seeks to spy on Britain, steal advanced technologies and generate revenue through 'ransomware' demands.

Paul Chichester, NCSC director of operations, said: 'In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, software supply chain attacks can have profound, far-reaching consequences for impacted organisations.

'We strongly encourage organisations to follow the mitigative actions in the advisory to improve their resilience to supply chain attacks and reduce the risk of compromise.'

The joint advisory, which is the first of its kind, comes during the state visit to the UK by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yesterday the two nations signed a strategic cyber partnership. In 2017, North Korea carried out a cyber attack on global hospitals, businesses and banks.

And in 2014 its hackers targeted Sony Pictures, seemingly in retaliation for a satirical movie about their leader Kim Jong Un.