North Korean Actors Behind $600M in Crypto Thefts: TRM Labs

According to a TRM Labs analysis, hackers with ties to North Korea were responsible for one-third of all cryptocurrency exploits and thefts last year, taking away about $600 million in cash.
The blockchain analytics company claimed on Friday that the amount takes the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's total revenue from cryptocurrency initiatives to about $3 billion over the previous six years.
According to Ari Redbord, head of legal and government affairs at TRM, the amount is roughly 30% lower than in 2022.
The latter few months of 2023 saw the majority of the stolen money seized.
Many of the attacks continue to use so-called social engineering, allowing the perpetrators to acquire private keys for projects, he said.
TRM links around $200 M in stolen funds to North Korea last year.
The fact that the earnings of North Korean attacks go toward the development of WMDs raises worries about national security and sets them apart from other attacks.
In 2023, the total amount of money obtained through hacking was approximately $1.7 billion, as opposed to $4 billion, which was taken the year before.
Less significant hacks, such as the Ronin theft in 2022, have occurred.
Other contributing factors include stronger cybersecurity measures, effective law enforcement initiatives, and, to a lesser degree, price volatility in the previous year.
During a recent trilateral meeting over North Korea's WMD efforts, national security officials from the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan brought up these concerns directly.


This Cyber News was published on www.cysecurity.news. Publication date: Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:43:05 +0000


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