NEW YORK — (AP) Security researchers are looking at possible connections between the global “ransomware” attack and North Korea, though one firm cautions that the connection is “weak.”

The security company Kaspersky Lab says portions of the “WannaCry” ransomware use the same code as malware previously distributed by Lazarus, a group behind the 2014 Sony hack blamed on North Korea.

But it’s possible the code was simply copied from the Lazarus malware without any other direct connection.

Another security company, Symantec, has also found similarities between WannaCry and Lazarus tools, but says “they so far only represent weak connections. We are continuing to investigate for stronger connections.”

WannaCry has paralyzed computers running factories, banks, government agencies and transport systems in some 150 countries.

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