North Korean Hackers Linked To $615 Million Heist

Posted by: Kyeyune Andrew Jonathan in world news April 15, 2022

North Korean hackers have been linked to a huge cryptocurrency heist worth $615. It apparently happened to the players of the popular online game Axie Infinity in March.

The game allows players to earn crypto through game play or trading their avatars. However, this hack is most probably one of the biggest ever to hit the crypto world.

According to US officials, they linked the breach to a group called “Lazarus”. They believe North Korea’s primary intelligence bureau controls the group.

“Through our investigations we were able to confirm Lazarus Group and APT38, cyber actors associated with [North Korea], are responsible for the theft,” the FBI said in a statement on Thursday.

Furthermore, the North Korean hackers became notorious back in 2014. This is after authorities accused them of hacking into Sony Pictures and exposing confidential information.

The group also demanded that Sony withdraw its then-upcoming film The Interview, a satirical comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

A UN panel also accused Pyongyang of using stolen funds to support its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as a way to avoid international sanctions.

“The United States is aware that the DPRK has increasingly relied on illicit activities – including cybercrime. This is to generate revenue for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs as it tries to evade robust US and UN sanctions,” Reuters quoted a Treasury Department spokesperson as saying.

A 2020 US military report says North Korea’s hacking programme dates back to at least the mid-1990s.

It has grown to a 6,000-strong cyber warfare unit. The unit is known as Bureau 121, operating in several countries.

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