U.S. sanctions North Korea-tied hackers known as "Lazarus Group"

The Treasury Department added the Lazarus Group — a prolific hacking organization believed by intelligence agencies and researchers to be sponsored and directed by the North Korean government — to its sanctions list on Friday.

The big picture: Lazarus is the group widely believed to have hacked Sony Pictures in response to the movie "The Interview." The group is also tied to other destructive attacks, including the WannaCry ransomware, and to digital bank heists including an $81 million theft from the central bank of Bangladesh.