A recent UN report highlights North Korea's significant role in cyberattacks specifically targeting crypto companies amid sanctions enforcement and nuclear concerns.
The United Nations Security Council has released a new report showing North Korea's involvement in cyberattacks has escalated, with cyberattacks now accounting for almost half of its foreign exchange earnings, Nikkei Asia reports. Ta. Although the investigation is still ongoing, the report points out that North Korea has already made around $3 billion thanks to the lack of security measures of crypto-related entities such as protocols and companies.
Although the report is not legally binding, Nikkei Asia notes that the Security Council and member states could impose new sanctions on entities or individuals found to be in violation. Additionally, the report highlighted that approximately 40% of the funding for the development of weapons of mass destruction was obtained through cyberattacks. Recent targets of such operations have included defense companies, with infrastructure and tools increasingly being shared among hackers affiliated with North Korea's main foreign intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau.
Despite the implementation of economic sanctions aimed at curbing financial flows to North Korea and regulating imports and exports, it is clear that cybercriminals with ties to the country continue to target the cryptocurrency market. .
In 2023 alone, North Korea-linked hackers stole nearly $430 million from decentralized finance (defi), and also targeted centralized services, exchanges and wallet providers, according to data from blockchain forensics firm Chainalysis. That's what it means. The US-based company said hacker groups Kimsky and Lazarus Group had launched 20 successful attacks against various platforms, netting around $1 billion worth of cryptocurrencies in 2023. , noted that this was a 41.7% decrease in the amount stolen compared to 2022.
“Although the total amount stolen from crypto platforms in 2023 was significantly lower than the previous year, it is clear that attackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and diverse in their exploits.” Chain Analysis
Last year, hackers were able to steal just $1.1 billion from smart contracts, representing a 63.7% year-over-year decrease in the total amount stolen from decentralized finance, and experts believe this decline is due to the implementation of defi protocols. We believe this is due to strengthened security measures.
