North Korea 'directly responsible' for WannaCry cyber attack: White House

A White House official has directly accused North Korea of orchestrating a cyber attack which caused havoc across the world earlier this year.

North Korea is "directly responsible" for the so-called WannaCry cyber attack, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said. Source: AAP

North Korea is "directly responsible" for the so-called WannaCry cyber attack that crippled hospitals, banks and other companies across the globe earlier this year, a senior White House official says.

"The attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible," Tom Bossert, the White House homeland security adviser, wrote in an opinion piece published online by the Wall Street Journal.

Mr Bossert said anyone who harmed the United States would be held accountable, but he did not detail any specific actions Washington might take against Pyongyang, other than saying it would continue to pursue a "maximum pressure strategy".

The accusation that the North Korean government was behind the so-called WannaCry attack comes as worries mount about North Korea's hacking capabilities and its nuclear weapons program.

The US government has assessed with a "very high level of confidence" that a hacking entity known as Lazarus Group, which works on behalf of the North Korean government, carried out the WannaCry attack, a senior administration official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet public.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.