North Korean hackers have earned the Kim Jong-un regime in the region of $2bn after targeting banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, according to a new UN report.
The effort was likely coordinated by the hermit nation’s top military intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, according to the report, which was leaked to the press on Monday.
“Democratic People’s Republic of Korea cyber actors, many operating under the direction of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, raise money for its WMD (weapons of mass destruction) programs, with total proceeds to date estimated at up to two billion US dollar,” it noted.
Investigators are said to be looking at “at least 35 reported instances of DPRK actors attacking financial institutions, cryptocurrency exchanges and mining activity” across 17 countries designed to generate foreign currency.
By doing so, it is believed that they would be able “to generate income in ways that are harder to trace and subject to less government oversight and regulation than the traditional banking sector,” as well as being easier to launder.
The news comes following several missile launches by the North Korean regime in May and July, which the UN said had “enhanced its overall ballistic missile capabilities.”
Source - https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/north-korean-hackers-amass-2bn/
