Researchers say hackers targeting UN humanitarian organizations

Cybersecurity researchers say a coordinated cyberespionage campaign has targeted UN relief agencies, the International Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations groups for the past 10 months.

The California cybersecurity outfit Lookout says the campaign, which uses phishing to harvest passwords from mobile phones and computers, is still active.

Lookout says the culprits are not known though there are indications some of their targets may have been members of the international community in North Korea.

Among the targeted organizations are UNICEF, the UN World Food Program, the UN Development Program and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Lookout says think tanks including The United States Institute of Peace, the Heritage Foundation and East-West Center were also targeted.

— AP