North Korea may be behind new $100 million crypto hack, experts say
2 years, 5 months ago

North Korea may be behind new $100 million crypto hack, experts say

The Hindu  

North Korean hackers are most likely behind an attack last week that stole as much as $100 million in cryptocurrency from a U.S. company, three digital investigative firms have concluded. “Preliminarily this looks like a North Korean hack based on transaction behaviour,” said Nick Carlsen, a former FBI analyst who now investigates North Korea’s cryptocurrency heists for TRM Labs, a U.S.-based firm. “This makes it easier to cash out the funds at an exchange.” If confirmed, the attack would be the eighth exploit this year – totalling $1 billion in stolen funds – that could be attributed to North Korea with confidence, accounting for 60% of total funds stolen in 2022, Chainalysis said. North Korea’s ability to cash in on its stolen assets may have been complicated by the recent drop in cryptocurrency values, experts and South Korean officials told Reuters, possibly threatening a key source of funding for the sanctions-strapped country.

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History of this topic

How North Korean hackers stole billions in crypto while posing as VCs, IT workers
3 weeks, 4 days ago

How North Korean hackers stole billions in crypto while posing as VCs, IT workers

Firstpost  

North Korean hacking groups use sophisticated methods to infiltrate targets. One group, dubbed “Sapphire Sleet” by Microsoft, impersonates venture capitalists and recruiters North Korea’s hackers operate under minimal risk due to existing sanctions, which limit the country’s exposure to further penalties. Image Credit: Reuters A new wave of cybercrime linked to North Korea has emerged, with hackers posing as venture …

Is North Korea the superpower in cyberattacks?
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Is North Korea the superpower in cyberattacks?

India Today  

North Korea is making headlines for large-scale cyberattacks it has carried out worldwide. A United Nations panel of experts suggested North Korea stole virtual assets worth $3 billion through 58 cyberattacks on cryptocurrency platforms between 2017 and 2023. “Despite better law enforcement, strict regulatory guidelines, and a sanctioning regime in the US cryptocurrency ecosystem, North Korean hackers continue with their …

North Korea hackers behind 2019 $42 mln Ethereum heist, South Korea police say
1 month ago

North Korea hackers behind 2019 $42 mln Ethereum heist, South Korea police say

Hindustan Times  

SEOUL, - South Korean police said on Thursday an investigation confirmed that hackers linked to North Korea's military intelligence agency were responsible for an Ethereum cryptocurrency heist in 2019, worth 58 billion won at the time. North Korea hackers behind 2019 $42 mln Ethereum heist, South Korea police say More than half of the stolen assets were laundered through three …

FBI seizes websites that North Koreans allegedly used to impersonate American companies
1 month ago

FBI seizes websites that North Koreans allegedly used to impersonate American companies

CNN  

CNN — The FBI has seized multiple websites that North Korean operatives used to impersonate legitimate US and Indian businesses in a likely effort to raise money for the nuclear armed-North Korean regime, according to statements on the websites and security researchers who investigated the activity. All four websites identified by cybersecurity firm SentinelOne as North Korean fronts on Thursday …

UK, U.S., South Korea warn of cyber op by North Korea to steal military, nuclear secrets
4 months, 4 weeks ago

UK, U.S., South Korea warn of cyber op by North Korea to steal military, nuclear secrets

The Hindu  

Britain, the United States and South Korea on July 26 issued a warning over a North Korea-backed global cyber espionage campaign to further the country's nuclear ambitions. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies said that a group known as Andariel "has been compromising organisations around the world to steal sensitive and classified technical information and intellectual property data." Andariel has been …

US plans to hunt down North Korean hackers who attacked healthcare, defence networks
4 months, 4 weeks ago

US plans to hunt down North Korean hackers who attacked healthcare, defence networks

Firstpost  

The FBI has been collecting evidence against a hacking group called Andariel, which is considered a part of the larger North Korean Lazarus group. These hackers have been using US-based tech infrastructure to carry out their attacks The US is ramping up efforts to track down North Korean hackers responsible for attacking healthcare and defence networks. An email address found …

North Korean charged in cyberattacks on US hospitals, NASA and military bases
4 months, 4 weeks ago

North Korean charged in cyberattacks on US hospitals, NASA and military bases

Associated Press  

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A North Korean military intelligence operative has been indicted in a conspiracy to hack into American health care providers, NASA, U.S. military bases and international entities, stealing sensitive information and installing ransomware to fund more attacks, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. He’s accused of targeting 17 entities across 11 U.S. states, including NASA and U.S. military bases, …

North Korea-backed cyber group sought to steal nuclear secrets, NCSC says
4 months, 4 weeks ago

North Korea-backed cyber group sought to steal nuclear secrets, NCSC says

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A North Korea-backed …

UN experts investigating 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks valued at about $3 billion
10 months, 2 weeks ago

UN experts investigating 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks valued at about $3 billion

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — U.N. experts say they are investigating 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks between 2017 and 2023 valued at approximately $3 billion, with the money reportedly being used to help fund its development of weapons of mass destruction. Amid the increased military and political tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the experts said North Korea “continued to flout sanctions,” further …

China supported sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program. It’s also behind their failure
1 year, 1 month ago

China supported sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program. It’s also behind their failure

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Chinese middlemen launder the proceeds of North Korean hackers’ cyber heists while Chinese ships deliver sanctioned North Korean goods to Chinese ports. “It’s overwhelming,” Aaron Arnold, a former member of a U.N. panel on North Korea and a sanctions expert at the Royal United Services Institute, said of the links between China and sanctions evasion. This summer a …

Suspected North Korean hackers target S. Korea-U.S. drills
1 year, 4 months ago

Suspected North Korean hackers target S. Korea-U.S. drills

The Hindu  

Suspected North Korean hackers have attempted an attack targeting a major joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington that starts on Monday, the South Korean police said. The hackers — believed to be linked to a North Korean group dubbed Kimsuky — carried out "continuous malicious email attacks" on South Korean contractors working at the allies' combined exercise war simulation …

North Korean hacking group Labyrinth Chollima breached US IT firm JumpCloud to steal cryptocurrency
1 year, 5 months ago

North Korean hacking group Labyrinth Chollima breached US IT firm JumpCloud to steal cryptocurrency

Live Mint  

A hacking group Labyrinth Chollima, backed by North Korean government, penetrated IT management company JumpCloud in the US and used it as a springboard to target cryptocurrency companies, the IT firm said on Thursday. The hack on JumpCloud – whose products are used to help network administrators manage devices and servers – first surfaced publicly earlier this month when the …

US issues fresh North Korea sanctions on 'illicit' IT workforce
1 year, 7 months ago

US issues fresh North Korea sanctions on 'illicit' IT workforce

ABC  

The United States has announced new North Korea sanctions related to thousands of IT workers, many operating in China and Russia, whose labours the Treasury Department says help fund weapons of mass destruction and missile programs. Key points: North Korea oversees thousands of IT workers around the world The workers hide their identities, locations, and nationalities and use forged documentation …

Inside the international sting operation to catch North Korean crypto hackers
1 year, 8 months ago

Inside the international sting operation to catch North Korean crypto hackers

CNN  

Watch Alex Marquardt’s report on the sting operation on Erin Burnett OutFront on Monday, April 10, at 7 p.m. CNN — A team of South Korean spies and American private investigators quietly gathered at the South Korean intelligence service in January, just days after North Korea fired three ballistic missiles into the sea. Rodong Sinmun The sting operation, described to …

South Korea, US and Japan urge countries to return North Koreans illegally working abroad
1 year, 8 months ago

South Korea, US and Japan urge countries to return North Koreans illegally working abroad

Firstpost  

New Delhi: The US, Japan and South Korea urged countries to repatriate North Korean workers illegally sent abroad to earn cash for Kim Jong Un’s regime that continues to evade sanctions and pushes its unlawful weapons programme. But on Friday, Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington’s special envoys for North Korea said the country’s overseas workers were continuing to help fund Pyongyang’s …

North Korea Is Now Mining Crypto to Launder Its Stolen Loot
1 year, 8 months ago

North Korea Is Now Mining Crypto to Launder Its Stolen Loot

Wired  

In the cryptocurrency ecosystem, coins have a story, tracked in the unchangeable blockchains underpinning their economy. Today, cybersecurity firm Mandiant published a report on a prolific North Korean state- Like many North Korean hacker groups, APT43 also maintains a sideline in profit-focused cybercrime, according to Mandiant, stealing any cryptocurrency that can enrich the North Korean regime or even just fund …

North Korea behind $100m crypto theft, FBI says
1 year, 11 months ago

North Korea behind $100m crypto theft, FBI says

Al Jazeera  

California-based Harmony said in June it had been the target of a cyberattack that stole $100m worth of digital assets. North Korean hackers were behind the theft of $100m worth of digital assets from a US crypto firm last year, according to United States law enforcement. North Korean cyber actors earlier this month used privacy protocol Railgun to launder more …

The Implications of FTX’s Collapse for North Korea
1 year, 11 months ago

The Implications of FTX’s Collapse for North Korea

The Diplomat  

In November 2022, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, FTX, collapsed. While the sudden implosion of FTX sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency industry, its demise also has implications for North Korea’s ability to continue to exploit weaknesses in the virtual asset ecosystem. The U.N. Panel of Experts has noted that funds acquired from stolen cryptocurrency “remain an important revenue …

Seoul: North Korean hackers stole $1.2B in virtual assets
2 years ago

Seoul: North Korean hackers stole $1.2B in virtual assets

Associated Press  

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean hackers have stolen an estimated 1.5 trillion won in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets in the past five years, more than half of it this year alone, South Korea’s spy agency said Thursday. South Korea’s main spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said North Korea’s capacity to steal digital assets is considered among the …

US, S. Korea, Japan to curb illicit N Korea cyber activities
2 years ago

US, S. Korea, Japan to curb illicit N Korea cyber activities

Associated Press  

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Senior diplomats from the United States, South Korea and Japan agreed Tuesday to boost efforts to curb North Korea’s illicit cyber activities and other methods to finance its nuclear program and evade international sanctions. In his opening remarks, Sung Kim, the U.S. envoy who also serves as Washington’s ambassador in Jakarta, said that North Korea’s provocative run …

North Korean hackers used Itaewon tragedy for malware: Google
2 years ago

North Korean hackers used Itaewon tragedy for malware: Google

Al Jazeera  

Google’s anti-hacking unit says state-backed hackers exploited the Halloween disaster to target internet users with malware. North Korean hackers exploited South Korea’s deadly Halloween crowd crush to target internet users with malware, according to a report by Google’s anti-hacking unit. The state-backed hackers planted malicious software in Microsoft Office documents disguised to look like a South Korean government report on …

The Future of South Korea-US Cyber Cooperation
2 years, 1 month ago

The Future of South Korea-US Cyber Cooperation

The Diplomat  

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic disruptions and U.N. sanctions, North Korea has found new, and illegal, ways to support the regime: cyberattacks garnering nearly $400 million in cryptocurrency last year and nearly $1 billion in 2022 thus far. While the United States has evidently made attempts to prevent these cyberattacks – such as sanctioning virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash for …

Crypto hack losses surged 60% to $1.9 billion between January and July 2022, reports Chainalysis
2 years, 4 months ago

Crypto hack losses surged 60% to $1.9 billion between January and July 2022, reports Chainalysis

The Hindu  

Losses arising from cryptocurrency hacks jumped nearly 60% in the first seven months of the year to $1.9 billion, propelled by a surge in funds stolen from decentralised finance protocols, according to a blog post from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis released on Tuesday. "DeFi protocols are uniquely vulnerable to hacking, as their open source code can be studied ad nauseum …

South Korea prosecutors raid crypto exchanges, offices for Luna investigation
2 years, 5 months ago

South Korea prosecutors raid crypto exchanges, offices for Luna investigation

The Hindu  

South Korean prosecutors carried out search and seizure operations at local cryptocurrency exchanges and related offices, looking for evidence of illegal practice involved in the collapse of cryptocurrency Luna in May. “A total of 15 places, including crypto-currency exchanges and related offices, were searched on Wednesday for proof of allegations,” a spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday, without elaborating. Investors have …

Here’s how North Korean operatives are trying to infiltrate US crypto firms
2 years, 5 months ago

Here’s how North Korean operatives are trying to infiltrate US crypto firms

CNN  

Washington CNN — Devin, the founder of a cryptocurrency startup based in San Francisco, woke up one day in February to the most bizarre phone call of his life. “He was a good contributor,” Devin lamented, puzzled by the man who had claimed to be Chinese and passed multiple rounds of interviews to get hired.. Devin’s encounter is just one …

U.S. issues sanctions targeting North Korean weapons of mass destruction program
2 years, 6 months ago

U.S. issues sanctions targeting North Korean weapons of mass destruction program

The Hindu  

The United States on May 27 imposed sanctions on two Russian banks, a North Korean company and a person it accused of supporting North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction program, increasing pressure on Pyongyang over its renewed ballistic missile launches. The latest American move came a day after China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-led push to impose more United Nations …

Hackers have stolen $1.3 billion from crypto platforms, report says
2 years, 7 months ago

Hackers have stolen $1.3 billion from crypto platforms, report says

The Hindu  

Decentralised finance exchanges are becoming breeding ground for digital thieves. In the first three months of this year, hackers have stolen $1.3 billion from exchanges, platforms, and private entities combined, according to a report by blockchain data platform Chainalysis. A DeFi protocol uses computer code called smart contracts that run on the blockchain network. The majority of hacking attacks happen …

Security News This Week: North Korea’s Lazarus Group Was Behind $540 Million Ronin Theft
2 years, 8 months ago

Security News This Week: North Korea’s Lazarus Group Was Behind $540 Million Ronin Theft

Wired  

Early this week, the Ukrainian Computer Emergency Response Team and Slovakian cybersecurity firm ESET warned that Russia's notorious GRU Sandworm hackers had targeted high-voltage electrical substations in Ukraine using a variation of their blackout-inducing Industroyer malware, also known as Crash Override. Days later, the US Department of Energy, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the NSA, and the FBI jointly …

North Korea has 'likely more in store' after missile test, need tougher UNSC sanctions, says US
2 years, 8 months ago

North Korea has 'likely more in store' after missile test, need tougher UNSC sanctions, says US

Firstpost  

Referring to the North’s recent launches as “increasingly dangerous provocations,” the United States on Friday called for a “resolution to update and strengthen the sanctions regime” against Pyongyang at the UN Security Council. Seoul: North Korea likely has “more in store” after successfully test-firing its largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile, a top US official said Friday, as Washington called for tougher …

North Korea stealing million dollars from cryptocurrency firms, exchanges in cyber attacks: UN
2 years, 10 months ago

North Korea stealing million dollars from cryptocurrency firms, exchanges in cyber attacks: UN

India TV News  

Highlights The money is an important source of funding for its nuclear and missile programs, UN experts said North Korean “cyber-actors stole more than $50 million between 2020 and mid-2021, they said The money was stolen from at least three cryptocurrency exchanges in North America, Europe and Asia North Korea is continuing to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from …

N Korea grows nuclear programme, profits from cyberattacks: UN
2 years, 10 months ago

N Korea grows nuclear programme, profits from cyberattacks: UN

Al Jazeera  

Confidential UN report says North Korea continued to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in 2021. North Korea continued to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes during the past year, and cyberattacks on cryptocurrency exchanges were an important revenue source for Pyongyang, according to an excerpt of a confidential United Nations report seen by the Reuters news agency …

North Korean hackers stole $550m worth of cryptocurrency in 2021, report says
2 years, 11 months ago

North Korean hackers stole $550m worth of cryptocurrency in 2021, report says

ABC  

North Korea launched at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms in 2021, extracting nearly $US400 million worth of digital assets, one of its most successful years on record, blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis says in a new report. Key points: Chainalysis did not identify all the targets of the hacks North Korea has not responded to the report yet The United …

North Korean hackers stole $400 million in cryptocurrency in 2021
2 years, 11 months ago

North Korean hackers stole $400 million in cryptocurrency in 2021

The Hindu  

North Korea launched at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms that extracted nearly $400 million worth of digital assets last year, one of its most successful years on record, blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis said in a new report. Last year, the United States charged three North Korean computer programmers working for the country's intelligence service with a massive, years-long hacking …

North Korean hackers stole $400m in crypto last year: report
2 years, 11 months ago

North Korean hackers stole $400m in crypto last year: report

Al Jazeera  

Analysis firm says North Korean-linked hacks jumped from four in 2020 to seven in 2021. North Korea launched at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms that extracted nearly $400m worth of digital assets last year, one of its most successful years on record, blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis said in a new report. “From 2020 to 2021, the number of North …

North Korean Hackers Stole Nearly $400 Million in Crypto Last Year
2 years, 11 months ago

North Korean Hackers Stole Nearly $400 Million in Crypto Last Year

Wired  

The past year saw a breathtaking rise in the value of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, with Bitcoin gaining 60 percent in value in 2021 and Ethereum spiking 80 percent. North Korean hackers stole a total of $395 million worth of crypto coins last year across seven intrusions into cryptocurrency exchanges and investment firms, according to blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. …

North Korea developing nuclear, missile programs in 2021: UN report
3 years, 4 months ago

North Korea developing nuclear, missile programs in 2021: UN report

India Today  

North Korea continued developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs during the first half of 2021 in violation of international sanctions and despite the country's worsening economic situation, according to an excerpt of a confidential United Nations report seen by Reuters on Friday. The report by a panel of independent sanctions monitors to the UN Security Council North Korea sanctions …

North Korea imported large amounts gasoline, diesel illicitly last year: Report
3 years, 9 months ago

North Korea imported large amounts gasoline, diesel illicitly last year: Report

Hindustan Times  

North Korea illicitly imported far more refined petroleum products last year than allowed under an annual threshold set by United Nations sanctions, a report seen by AFP revealed. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on February 17 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang. Pyongyang can import up to 500,000 …

US charges North Korean computer programmers in global hacks
3 years, 10 months ago

US charges North Korean computer programmers in global hacks

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has charged three North Korean computer programmers in a broad range of global hacks, including a destructive attack targeting an American movie studio, and in the attempted theft and extortion of more than $1.3 billion from banks and companies, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. “What we see emerging uniquely out of North Korea is trying to …

Feds Indict North Korean Hackers for Years of Heists and Scams
54 years, 11 months ago

Feds Indict North Korean Hackers for Years of Heists and Scams

Wired  

It's no secret that North Korea's hackers have rampaged around the global internet for years, stealing hundreds of millions of dollars, extorting companies, and even carrying out vendettas against perceived enemies of the Kim Jong-Un regime. Prosecutors today unsealed an indictment against Park Jin Hyok, Jon Chang Hyok, and Kim Il, all alleged to be part of the broadly defined …

North Korean military hackers indicted in cyber plot to rob banks, attack companies
3 years, 10 months ago

North Korean military hackers indicted in cyber plot to rob banks, attack companies

LA Times  

Three North Korean computer programmers have been charged in Los Angeles with conspiring to steal and extort more than $1 billion in a sweeping array of cyberattacks against banks, other companies and cryptocurrency traders around the world, federal authorities announced Wednesday. The hackers were working for a North Korean military agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, and pursuing strategic and financial …

US charges three North Koreans for major hacks and cyber-thefts
3 years, 10 months ago

US charges three North Koreans for major hacks and cyber-thefts

Al Jazeera  

The United States Justice Department has charged three computer programmers working for the North Korean military with using cross-border cyberattacks to raise money for North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un. “The scope of the criminal conduct by the North Korean hackers was extensive and long-running, and the range of crimes they have committed is staggering,” said acting US …

South Korea agency says North Korea hackers tried to get Pfizer vaccine know-how
3 years, 10 months ago

South Korea agency says North Korea hackers tried to get Pfizer vaccine know-how

Live Mint  

North Korea has attempted to steal COVID-19 vaccine technology by hacking Pfizer Inc according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service, Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday. Last year suspected North Korean hackers tried to break into at least nine health organizations, including Johnson & Johnson, Novavax Inc, and AstraZeneca. South Korea's intelligence agency said it had foiled North Korean attempts …

N Korea further developed nuclear weapons programme in 2020: UN
3 years, 10 months ago

N Korea further developed nuclear weapons programme in 2020: UN

Al Jazeera  

Monitors believe Pyongyang is using money stolen in cyber-hacks to fund the programme and might be getting help from Iran. North Korea maintained and developed its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes throughout 2020 in violation of international sanctions, helping fund its activities with some $300m stolen through cyber-hacks, according to a United Nations report. A US State Department spokesperson said …

North Korean hackers stole more than $300 million to pay for nuclear weapons, says confidential UN report
3 years, 10 months ago

North Korean hackers stole more than $300 million to pay for nuclear weapons, says confidential UN report

CNN  

New York CNN — North Korea’s army of hackers stole hundreds of millions of dollars throughout much of 2020 to fund the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs in violation of international law, according to a confidential United Nations report. The document accused the regime of leader Kim Jong Un of conducting “operations against financial institutions and virtual currency exchange …

Google says North Korea-backed hackers sought cyber research
3 years, 10 months ago

Google says North Korea-backed hackers sought cyber research

Live Mint  

SEOUL: Google says it believes hackers backed by the North Korean government have been posing as computer security bloggers and using fake accounts on social media while attempting to steal information from researchers in the field. Experts say the attacks reflect North Korean efforts to improve its cyber skills and be able to breach widely used computer products, such as …

Justice Dept: North Korean hackers stole virtual currency
4 years, 3 months ago

Justice Dept: North Korean hackers stole virtual currency

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — North Korean hackers stole millions of dollars from virtual currency accounts and then laundered the stolen funds in hopes of making the crime untraceable, according to a Justice Department civil forfeiture complaint filed Thursday. It comes months after Justice Department officials accused hackers from North Korea of stealing nearly $250 million worth of virtual currency and charged two …

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